Pastoral Search Team Update and More!

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Pastoral Search Team Update and More!"

Isabella Wilkinson
5 years ago
Views:

Pompton Reformed Church 59 Hamburg Tpk. Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442 (973) 835-0541 www.pomptonreformed.org February 2016 Dear PRC Family, Pastoral Search Team Update and More!

About three dozen names emerged, followed by notice in our bulletin, inviting additional suggestions.

At February's consistory, the final Team shall be formed, and shared with the congregation. This entire endeavor continues to be encompassed in much prayer, for God's guidance at each step.

The Lenten worship schedule is in place, and there are several rich opportunities for additional worship guests: PRC's Deacons and Elders are (tentatively) planning to lead our worship of Feb. 28. Dr.

1 Pompton Reformed Church 59 Hamburg Tpk. Pompton Lakes, NJ (973) February 2016 Dear PRC Family, Pastoral Search Team Update and More! At December's consistory meeting, incoming, outgoing and continuing Deacons and Elders sat with our membership rolls, and began praying over potential candidates for PRC's Pastoral Search Team. About three dozen names emerged, followed by notice in our bulletin, inviting additional suggestions. January's consistory prayerfully narrowed the list to approximately 17 people--a wide diversity of ages and gifts. Each have received letters inviting them to prayerfully consider serving. At February's consistory, the final Team shall be formed, and shared with the congregation. This entire endeavor continues to be encompassed in much prayer, for God's guidance at each step. We are following our denomination's Pastoral Search Handbook. In the meantime, all continues in good fashion as the Bartha's enter their final three months with us. The Lenten worship schedule is in place, and there are several rich opportunities for additional worship guests: PRC's Deacons and Elders are (tentatively) planning to lead our worship of Feb. 28. Dr. Bruce Main from Urban Promise in Camden, NJ will be our worship leader of March 13, and our April 10 worship will be led by the Rev. Andrew Rienstra. Andy served as pastor of First Reformed Church in Pompton Plains for twenty years, until retiring a decade ago. He is a gifted preacher and you will certainly want to be present to hear his message. Through divinely-ordained circumstances, Tom and Mary Bartha have purchased Andy's home in East Stroudsburg, Pa., and will be moving there at April's end. "Living Lent as People of the Resurrection" is our Lenten worship theme. Chancel Choir and Bells have been preparing for this season of purposefully placing ourselves before God. Sunday's bulletins will hold full worship schedule, beginning with Ash Wednesday worship of February 10. Thanks for keeping your eyes peeled to warmly welcome all who come through our doors. Gratefully, in Christ's Service, Pastor Tom Bartha

Love those Angels By Elaine Peacock Do you know what an angel looks like? Could you pick them out of a crowd? They really look quite ordinary, just like you or I.

Did someone hold the door for you or help you carry your groceries to your car? Did someone give you a big smile and ask you how you were feeling that particular day; a day that you felt a bit down?

These are definitely examples of angels at work. Actually angels can be as close as our next door neighbor or many miles away.

Happy Valentine s Day Angels! LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU Submitted by Helen Gioia Love one another as I have loved you.

And, we judge with our hearts and not with our mind.

2 Love those Angels By Elaine Peacock Do you know what an angel looks like? Could you pick them out of a crowd? They really look quite ordinary, just like you or I. Their wings never show or even their halos, but they are angels nonetheless. Think about the people you have met recently, say in the past week or so. Did someone hold the door for you or help you carry your groceries to your car? Did someone give you a big smile and ask you how you were feeling that particular day; a day that you felt a bit down? Did you get an unexpected phone call, letter or e- mail from someone you haven t heard from in a long time? How about an unexpected hug from someone when you needed it most? These are definitely examples of angels at work. Actually angels can be as close as our next door neighbor or many miles away. We really don t think of people we see all the time as angels but they are. GOD gives everyone opportunities to be angel to someone or cross the path of someone who can be an angel for us. Happy Valentine s Day Angels! LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU Submitted by Helen Gioia Love one another as I have loved you. May seem impossible to do--but, if you will try to trust and believe, Great are the joys that you will receive. For love makes us patient, understanding and kind. And, we judge with our hearts and not with our mind. For as soon love enters the heart's opened door, the faults we once saw are not there anymore, And, the things that seemed wrong begin to look right when viewed in the softness of love's gentle light----for love works in ways that are wondrous and strange and there is nothing in life that love cannot change. For all that GOD promised will someday come true when you Love One Another The Way HE Loved You! Round Table of Thanks (from January consistory) Terry Terhune, Jack Tice, and Charles Quant for their nearly two years of meetings and endeavors in selling the two properties across Ringwood Avenue. As of mid-january, sale of one building to the dentist (Dr. Daniel Nyhuis), and also sale of the formerly New Bridge property have been entirely completed! At this point, it is not certain how the New Bridge property (105 Hamburg Turnpike) will be used. As a side note, since we no longer own these properties, parking in these lots is discouraged for now. In time, we hope to negotiate for the privilege of our being permitted to park there.

Memorials From In Memory of Designated Susan Christie Dick Christie Scholarship In memory of Albert Peacock on his 100th birthday

From Toys for Tots (an excerpt) I just wanted to take a minute to say THANK YOU for the hot chocolate your team provided for this

Your group was a pleasure to work with and be around. They didn t just bring the hot chocolate, they brought toys too.

Each year, the Marine s Toys for Tots program has an actual train that runs through Pompton Lakes and stops for contributions.

Normally, the train stops for about half hour or occasionally 45 minutes, but in PL, they stay for an hour because it takes that

The Deacons will soon be selling hoagies.

3 Memorials From In Memory of Designated Susan Christie Dick Christie Scholarship In memory of Albert Peacock on his 100th birthday from Elaine Birthdays Margo Holland Meredith Davis Connor Conklin Thank You, Pompton Reformed! From Toys for Tots (an excerpt) I just wanted to take a minute to say THANK YOU for the hot chocolate your team provided for this year s Toys for Tots Train event. It was much appreciated and definitely needed. THANK YOU! Your group was a pleasure to work with and be around. They didn t just bring the hot chocolate, they brought toys too. They really made the event a fiesta and that s what keeps people coming back! Each year, the Marine s Toys for Tots program has an actual train that runs through Pompton Lakes and stops for contributions. There are 14 trains covering NJ, but P.L. is, by far, the largest stop. Normally, the train stops for about half hour or occasionally 45 minutes, but in PL, they stay for an hour because it takes that long to load up. This year, we collected over 10,000 toys and gift cards, plus some cash too. Hoagies! The Deacons will soon be selling hoagies. Selling hoagies to raise money for the Deacons to help people in need was my husband's idea when he was a Deacon. My husband, Chuck Gioia, was the one who suggested making and selling hoagies. He was also the one who suggested purchasing a meat slicing machine. It was a very good idea! And, the money raised certainly helps the Deacons to help those in need! Way to go, Chuck! Submitted by Helen Gioia ***Don t forget to pick up your hoagies/salads after church on Feb. 7th***

com, you ll find the exact same selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.

4 AMAZON SMILE- A GREAT WAY TO GIVE BACK TO POMPTON REFORMED CHURCH What is AmazonSmile? AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you ll find the exact same selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization, hopefully PRC. How do I shop at AmazonSmile? To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device. You can use the same account on Amazon.com and AmazonSmile. How do I select a charitable organization to support when shopping on AmazonSmile? On your first visit to AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), you need to select a charitable organization to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. They will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation of 0.5%. Pompton Reformed is already listed as one of the charities; you just need to click on it. For further information please check out the website listed above. What a great way to give back to the church. A note from Robert Barrett (followed by a letter): It was wonderful to worship with all of you on Sunday. Cristina let me know that the Missions Committee will be meeting this week, I have attached a letter asking for support for my trip to Haiti this March I am once again assisting in leading the trip with Boston University Chi Alpha and we will be partnering with Convoy of Hope while in Port-au-Prince. Thank you for prayerfully considering my trip. The support of the past two years has had a huge impact on the Haitians we have met and been able to serve. In addition, this link, Returning to Haiti, is a web newsletter that I put together to highlight the trip as I am working on my support raising. January 11, 2016 Dear Pompton Reformed Church Family, I am excited to share that I will be once again traveling to Port- au- Prince, Haiti on a Missions Trip to spend a week serving the people of Haiti. Over the course of the past 2 trips, Haiti and the people I have met while there have gripped my heart. As the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, the process of recovering from the 2010 earthquake is still ongoing. The last year has seen

5 continued political unrest as Haitians struggle to overcome the depths of poverty and brokenness. The generous support and prayers of my PRC family have helped to make a difference in Haiti as a result of my previous trips, from replacing a roof over the heads of 70 children at an orphanage to providing a week of work and wages to our Haitian brothers who have worked alongside us during the trips. I would like to once again ask Pompton Reformed to partner with me in sharing the power of Christ and Hope with the people of Haiti. One thing that I have learned during my past two trips is that there is no simple answer to poverty and no simple way to make that which is broken, whole again. Haiti is a truly beautiful place, a Caribbean island with mountainous peaks that provide a breathtaking view. The Haitian people are also beautiful, their care and laid- back approach to life are aspects of their culture that I have grown to admire. However, this beauty is masked in a brokenness that I cannot even begin to describe. Last year we spent our week at an orphanage where many of the children were not actually orphans, but their families could not afford to care for the children so they would send the children to live at the orphanage. We had the great opportunity to hold a vacation bible school for these children, many of whom have placed their trust in Jesus as their hope for the future of Haiti. While there is no simple answer to the brokenness, God is at work in Haiti and through Him we have seen lives transformed and change start in even the smallest places. This year, I will once again be partnering with Convoy of Hope and a group of students from Boston University Chi Alpha in making the trip to Haiti. Convoy works with local farmers and local pastors to provide meals to tens of thousands of Haitian children each day. We will once again this year be supporting a school or orphanage that participates in the feeding program. While we are waiting for the final confirmation of exactly what our work will be, we know that we will be completing a work project that is part of a long- term relationship that Convoy of Hope has with a Haitian school or orphanage. The work that we do will last and be just one part of what God is doing in the lives of the people we will meet. Additionally, we will have the opportunity to build relationships with Haitians who we will work alongside during the week. Last year, we were able to get to know a Haitian man named Omega who has 12 children and through the money he makes working with Convoy of Hope teams, buys food to feed not only his children but all of the children in the neighborhood. The total cost of the trip is $1680 per person to cover the airfare and expenses for the week. I am additionally working on raising the $3,000 that we must raise to pay for our work project at the school or orphanage in Port- au- Prince. Last year, this money purchased the supplies for our VBS and the materials for us to build a wall and replace the leaky roof over the bedroom in the orphanage. Also, this money was used to pay a number of Haitians to work alongside us in our project. Over 90% of Haitians are unemployed because jobs simply do not exist in the country that has seen natural disaster after natural disaster combined with constant economic and political instability. To provide a handful of Haitians with a week s wage through the money we raise is perhaps the greatest gift we can provide with our funds. Any assistance PRC could give would be greatly appreciated along with continued prayers leading up to the trip and during the week in Haiti. We are looking to raise as much the finances as possible by February 1 before the trip on March If we are able to raise even more than our goal, we will be able to complete an even larger work project. Any financial gift can be made out to Boston

6 University Chi Alpha. I am also would love to be able to come and share both before and after the trip with the PRC congregation. The support of PRC has had a significant impact on the previous years trips. Sincerely, Robert Barrett Thank you for your prayers and your prayerful consideration of supporting my trip. Autumnfest news Autumnfest 2016 is coming up in just nine months! We had such a huge success with the Accessory Shop last year that we plan to have it again this year! So when you are doing your spring cleaning please remember that we will be accepting gently used and clean pocketbooks, change purses, scarves, belts, and costume jewelry. "Anything that makes you feel beautiful" as Doreen Apgar explains. Doreen will once again be the Chair of the Accessory Shop. If you would like to help out or ask any questions about accessories, please see Doreen at Coffee Hour. Thank You! If the trials of many years were gathered into one, they would overwhelm us; therefore, in pity to our little strength, God sends first one, then another, then removes both and lays on a third, heavier, perhaps, than either; but all is so wisely measured to our strength that the bruised reed is never broken. We do not enough look at our trials in this continuous and successive view. Each one is sent to teach us something, and altogether, they have a lesson which is beyond the power of any to teach alone. H.E. Manning March submissions are due by Monday, Feb. 29, Please to khuysers@msn.com or place in the office mailbox.

POMPTON REFORMED CHURCH 59 Hamburg Turnpike Pompton Lakes, NJ

POMPTON REFORMED CHURCH 59 Hamburg Turnpike Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442 973-835-0541 www.pomptonreformed.org Amazing! In about a month we will be celebrating worship in our renovated sanctuary! How will it