OF TROY, NY. FEEDING the HUNGRY in BODY and SOUL LIFE SERVICE COMMUNITY. Spirit, Service, Community. God s Beloved Children. The Meaning of Membership

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1 FIRST UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF TROY, NY FEEDING the HUNGRY in BODY and SOUL Spirit, Service, Community VIBRANT WORSHIP and SPIRITUALSPIRIT LIFE SERVICE COMMUNITY March 2019 February, 2018 Spirit, Service, Community In This Issue: God s Beloved Children Baptism through Transfiguration January 13, 2019 March 3, 2019 Rebuking the Demons Transfiguration Sunday March 3, 2019 Communion Luke 9:28-43a Time With Young People: After the Ecstasy, the Laundry Children and Youth remain in worship Palms to Ashes Confirmation Class The Meaning of Membership The Season of Lent March 6, 2019 April 20, 2019 Reconciled to God Ash Wednesday - Communion March 6, 2019, Time TBD 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 Page 1 Vibrant Worship & Spiritual Life: March Worship Turning Palms to Ashes Ash Wednesday Easter Flowers Page 4 Caring, Inclusive Community: March Birthdays Session in a Nutshell Let s Get Together Cancer Support Group Page 7 - Passionate Mission & Advocacy Environmental Tips Joseph s House CROP Walk 50 years Roarke Center Artists Page 12 March Calendar 10:00 am worship with nursery care available. Discerning the Spirits First Sunday in Lent Baptism March 10, 2019 Luke 4:1-13 Time With Young People: Discerning the Spirits Children and Youth Church: TBD Extended Fellowship/Birthday Sunday Baptismal Celebration 1

2 VIBRANT WORSHIP and SPIRITUAL LIFE 2 Brooding and Blessing Second Sunday in Lent March 17, 2019 Luke 13:31-35 Time With Young People: Jesus as a Mother Hen Children and Youth Church: TBD CROP Walk 50 th Anniversary Celebration A Composting Faith Third Sunday in Lent March 24, 2019 Luke13:6-9 Time With Young People: The Miracle of Manure Children and Youth Church: Adult Ed on The Meaning of the Baptismal Vows Some Brother That I Used to Know Fourth Sunday in Lent March 31, 2019 Luke15:1-3, 11b-32 Time With Young People: Sibling Rivalry Children and Youth Church: TBD Adult Ed on Presbyterian Membership Rights and Responsibilities Turning Palms to Ashes Sunday, March 3, immediately following worship Transfiguration Sunday marks the shift in our liturgical calendar from Ordinary Time to The Season of Lent. Luke s Gospel, in particular, places the story of The Transfiguration at the end of the ministry of Jesus in Galilee and the beginning of his journey to Jerusalem. We in the church mark this shift by burning the dried palm leaves we used to shout Hosanna on Palm Sunday We will then mix the resulting ashes with oil, in preparation for Ash Wednesday. Reconciled to God Ash Wednesday Simple Supper & Communion March 6, 2019, 6:00pm The Season of Lent begins in earnest with a Simple Supper followed by a service of reconciliation to God and one another, including the Imposition of Ashes and the Sacrament of Communion. The Church Office is open Tuesdays 9:00 AM 1:00 PM Wednesdays 9:00 AM- Noon and Fridays 9:00 AM Noon. Together We worship God through Christ and explore all dimensions of life in the Spirit. We demonstrate God s inclusive love as we work or peace and justice. We serve God in the world As we seek to heal wounds and care for God s creation. We invite all people of every background, condition and orientation into the full fellow- Ship, ministry and mission of God s Good News in Jesus Christ. All who join the church are extended the full privileges of Membership, are challenged to lead lives of Christian discipleship and are eligible to be considered for church office. Rev. Gusti Linnea Newquist, Pastor Judy Moyer, Volunteer Music Coordinator David Vredenburg, Seasonal Guest Organist Elizabeth Rowell Nursery Attendant Carlie D Anunzio, Financial Analyst Kirby Kay Clark Administrative Assistant Maddalone and Associates Property Manager C O N TA C T U S Web: info@unitedprestroy.org Phone: (518) Fax: (518) First United Presbyterian Church th Avenue

3 VIBRANT WORSHIP and SPIRITUAL LIFE Easter Flowers Even in the cold and snow of winter, we have the promise of spring and can look forward to the beauty and fragrance of flowers! 3

4 We will be offering 6 Easter Lilies to decorate the front of the sanctuary. They are $9.50 each. You made also order Mums, Hyacinth, Tulips, Azalea, and Hydrangea. All orders must be turned in by Sunday, April 7 th. 4

5 The flowers are coming from Becker s Farm Garden Center. Please contact the Church Office or Peg Drew with questions or CARING, INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY March Birthdays 6 th Kirby Kay Clark 9 th Betsy Belle Eadie Karen Marbot 10 th Sue Steele 18 th Pat Somerscales 21 st Nathan Parmelee 23 rd Philip Wentworth 24 th Brendan Lanoue 27 th Dan Rogers 5

6 The Session met in Stated Meeting on Tuesday, February 26, 7pm, in the McCarty Room. Items Addressed Included: Continued discussion of what it means to be a Personal/Pastoral Size Congregation Approval of All Are Welcome Here sign to be purchased by the Social Justice Team and placed in the front of the building Approval of the Sacrament of Baptism for Javier Fernandez, son of Katey O Malley and Oris Fernandez, in worship on March 10, 2019 Approval of FUPC serving as fiduciary sponsor for the Troy Sanctuary Movement, pending receipt of their financial polices and procedures The Session will meet again in Stated Meeting on Tuesday, March 26 th, 7pm in the back of the Sanctuary. Visitors are welcomed and encouraged. CARING, INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY Let s Get Together! Coming Up Restaurant Night: Friday 3/15 Our next night out will be local the Beirut Restaurant at 184 River St. in Troy. Meet at 6 PM to enjoy Middle Eastern comfort food. Please let Joan know by 3/12 if you would like to join the group. Check out the menu at Restaurant Night: Friday 4/12 Looking ahead, let s try the newly opened Quang's Vietnamese Bistro, 88 3rd St, Troy. According to owner Quang Tran, the menu focuses on some of the classic Vietnamese dishes that I grew up with. 6 We did it! Bowling & Pizza Party: Sunday 2/24 What a success! We had 20 bowlers of all ages plus more who shared pizza and cheered on the teams. David Hains and Nora McDowell led the bumper bowling teams of Sam, Grace, Henriette, Owen and Nora. Afi Amlalo and Everest Nelson-Holder surprised us with their skills. Did we know that Jennifer Nelson and Dana Parker could get strikes/spares like they did or that John O Malley would get the high score? Lefty Noel Hains did better with the right arm who would have thought!?

7 There were lots of laughs, high fives, and much moral support for effort. Special thanks to our sponsors. Due to their generosity, we have extra funds for the summer picnic! Lunches Schenectady County Community College s Casola Dining Room Two groups of diners enjoyed lunches at SCC during February one with Irish and the other with Brazilian food. There was delicious food and conversation in a lovely setting. Not only is this a place for creative food offerings but supports hospitality students at the college. Other Ideas? Please contact us with ideas for future events, particularly those that are cross generational. Peg Smith ( pegsavchik@gmail.com or ) & Joan Rogers (rogersjoan@yahoo.com or ) CARING, INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY Living.. With Cancer Free Support Group Every 3 rd Monday Each Month Next Meeting is March 18th 7:00 ~ 8:00 p.m. Presbyterian Church (Downstairs room) 165 Main St. Schaghticoke, NY Facilitator and Survivor: Rev. Ted Wright Because cancer can feel overwhelming. Please come and share your stories, questions, problems, and encouragement with folks who listen and understand. This group is open to anyone that has been touch by cancer in anyway. We encourage caregivers to come as well. 7

8 For more information contact Ted Wright at (240) Kirby Kay Clark will be taking Vacation March 4 8. When she returns, her new office hours will be: Tuesdays 9am -1pm Wednesdays 9am noon Fridays 9am noon 8

9 PASSIONATE MISSION and ADVOCACY Environmental Program Tips for the Month March, 2019 Who has expired mascara galore? If a tube has been open longer than 3-4 months, hate to say - it should be tossed! If you have 1, 2 or 20 - clean the wands with soap and water, and send them to Wildlife Wands or Appalachian Wild. These wands help with the medical care & cleaning of wild life animals. They can be used for everything from oil spills, to mites, to wound area cleaning. The addresses are: Appalachian Wild P.O. Box 1211 Skyland NC Wildlife Wands P.O. Box 1586 Southwick, MA Items we shop for are often over packaged. Look for ways to reduce that fact. Find products that are less packaged or not packaged at all and refuse bags as often as you can. Keep a bag in your pocket, purse, briefcase... to use when shopping. This helps reduce business expenses for the store and may mean that less bags need to be produced. Have old furniture, appliances, shoes, clothes, etc. repaired rather than throwing them away. If not worth repairing, find a way to have them reused/recycled. I ve heard that worn out clothes can be shredded and used as insulation. There is an Appliance recycling center in South Troy. They have to charge a bit of money for SOME items because of the expense they incur for them, but it s worth it to keep things out of the ground. Protek Recycling 246 First Street Troy, NY

10 Joseph s House Update - #2 Items THANK YOU!!! PASSIONATE MISSION and ADVOCACY The Inn from the Cold (operated by Joseph s House) is now in the final weeks of this winter season s program. Due to the ongoing generous support of our FUPC congregation, the snacks were outstanding, and very much appreciated by the Inn guests. Janet Douglass, Volunteer Coordinator at Joseph s House and Shelter, does not hold back when it comes to thanking FUPC for our efforts. Please thank your congregation for all they do! First United has been wonderful for this program and Joseph s House in general, for many years. A few members of the FUPC congregation stay overnight with the Inn guests, and speak highly of this experience. Many others of you donate actual food/snack items, and/or make a monetary contribution so that needed items can be purchased. Budgeted money from the Social Justice Team (SJT) is also used as needed to ensure our commitment to the Inn is fulfilled. The SJT is grateful for your tireless support of the Inn program and we know the guests are, too!...and did you also know First United had the great good fortune to have Janet Douglass, now wearing her Reverend hat, lead the worship service on February 17 (in Pastor Gusti s study leave absence). And it didn t end there! Following fellowship time, Janet also led the Adult Ed program with an update about Joseph s House (JH) and its services. Ably assisted by FUPC s own Linda Buckley, volunteer and board member at JH, here is some information you might find interesting. Founded in 1983, Joseph s House and Shelter, Inc., is a Troy community-based, not for profit corporation that provides a continuum of homeless services to residents of Rensselaer County. It offers non-judgmental services where each guest s dignity and worth are recognized and respected. JH is committed to housing first and harm reduction principles and practices. Why are people homeless? Two trends are largely responsible for the rise in homelessness over the past years: a growing shortage of affordable rental housing and a simultaneous increase in poverty. Janet also mentioned the closure of mental health residential facilities in the 1980s significantly added to the problem. Who is homeless? Men, women, and families can all find themselves without a home. Some lose an apartment because the rent rises out of reach. An acute or chronic illness can mean the loss of employment. Many guests identify as having a disabling condition that affects their ability to live independently substance abuse, mental illness, chronic health condition, developmental or physical disability. 10

11 PASSIONATE MISSION and ADVOCACY Who pays for homeless people? On average it costs $20,000 per year to support a homeless person in the local community (housing, other assistance). Homeless folks living on the street can cost a community an average of $50,000 per year emergency room visits, police involvement, etc. Funding for the care and assistance JH provides comes from a variety of sources : personal donations, churches, foundations, grants, state and federal governments, to name a few. What services does Joseph s House provide? There are two permanent residential facilities operated by JH, collectively providing #46 apartments within the community. JH also provides many services (overflow beds, meals, programs, etc.) at the main Ferry Street location. The seasonal Inn from the Cold provides #20 more beds during the coldest months of the winter. JH is also a Code Blue site where anyone who is outdoors at a qualifying temperature can come to JH for warmth and, by law, cannot be turned away. JH provides #3 meals every day at all locations and cannot charge for any food offered. New in 2018 was taking on the added services of an outreach van in Albany, which searches out and aids those homeless folks who refuse to come in. Who else helps out? JH also works very closely with other community programs/resources to help guests get back on their feet. Referrals are made to Unity House, St. Mary s Hospital Interfaith Services (for medical needs), YWCA, St. Peter s addiction program, community landlords and Section 8 housing opportunities, to name a few. Of every 10 persons JH assists, roughly 8 are helped for an average 30 day time period (via directed to a variety of resources best able to help them), and then are on their way back into the community. Two of the 10 often require long-term, ongoing help and services. In the case of children, JH staff stay in contact/provide long term, ongoing support to children - in an effort to assist them until they successfully get through high school. How can we help? Go onto the JH website josephhousetroy.org and select the volunteer option that appeals to you! The gift of your time, donating items, cooking meals, playing with the little guests, and interacting with the older ones, working with college students who provide aid as service projects, etc., etc. There s something for everyone it s all right there! Within FUPC, Linda Buckley is extremely knowledgeable and the SJT can field many questions as well. 11

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14 MARCH CALENDAR Friday, March 1 Saturday, March 2 Sunday, March 3 9:00 am Music Rehearsal 10:00 am Worship with communion 10:00 am Nursery care 11:15am Fellowship 11:30am Palms to Ashes 11:30am Confirmation Class Monday, March 4 Tuesday, March 5 12:00 pm Choir Gathering 4:00pm Troy Children s Chorus Wednesday, March 6 4:00 pm Troy Junior Chorus 6:00 pm Ash Wednesday Simple Supper and Liturgy Monday, March 11 Tuesday, March 12 4:00pm Troy Children s Chorus Wednesday, March 13 4:00 pm Troy Junior Chorus Thursday, March 14 7:00pm Choir Rehearsal Friday, March 15 Saturday, March 16 Sunday, March 17 9:00 am Music Rehearsal 10:00 am Worship 10:00 am Nursery care 11:15 am Fellowship 11:45 am Adult Ed Monday, March 18 Sunday, March 24 9:00 am Music Rehearsal 10:00 am Worship 10:00 am Nursery care 11:15 am Fellowship 11:30 am Adult Ed Monday, March 25 Tuesday, March 26 4:00pm Troy Children s Chorus Wednesday, March 27 4:00 pm Troy Junior Chorus Thursday, March 28 7:00pm Choir Rehearsal Friday, March 29 Saturday, March 30 Thursday, March 7 Friday, March 8 Saturday, March 9 Sunday, March 10 9:00 am Music Rehearsal 10:00 am Worship with Baptism 10:00 am Nursery care 11:15 am Fellowship/ Birthday Celebration/ Baptism Celebration Tuesday, March 19 4:00pm Troy Children s Chorus Wednesday, March 20 4:00 pm Troy Junior Chorus Thursday, March 21 6:30pm Artist Reception, Roarke Center Artists 7:00pm Choir Rehearsal Friday, March 22 Saturday, March 23 Sunday, March 31 9:00 am Music Rehearsal 10:00 am Worship 10:00 am Nursery care 11:15 am Fellowship 11:45 am Adult Ed Thursday evening choir rehearsals (7 p. m) begin on March 14. Rehearsals will then continue (unless we notify you otherwise) on March 21 and 28, April 4 and 11, and May 2, 9, 16 and 23 14