October 3, 2012 PASTOR S THOUGHTS INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Next issue: 10/17 Deadline Monday 10/15 9:00 AM. Page 1 of 4 FAITH COMMUNITY SERV ICE

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1 October 3, 2012 Pennington Presbyterian FAITH COMMUNITY SERV ICE PASTOR S THOUGHTS I m not going to apologize to you all. If I did, it would mean that I was doing something wrong, perhaps even sinful. It would mean I was sorry. But I m not sorry, so I m not going to apologize! To be sure, there are many occasions or situations in my life that beg of me an apology. I may even have sinned against you, my church family. If so, I do hope you ll forgive me so that there are no barriers between us. But I won t apologize for this. Why would I? What I am doing is not something to hide. It is not a sin. It is not something over which to feel embarrassment. What I am going to do here is to offer you pastoral care and to extend to you an invitation. So come closer for this conversation because it is an intimate discussion and it is intended for each one of you. Your wellbeing is at the center of God s heart. The Creator of the universe loves you deeply and yearns for you to experience a life of blessing. Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us, For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. The trouble is that our desires, goals and fears can lead us away from the kind of life God wants for us. Henri Nouwen explains that part of Christian conversion is to experience a deep shift in how we see and think and act. To be converted is to be clothed in our right mind, to come to ourselves the way the younger son did when he was starving far from his true home. (Luke 15:14 20) It is a shift of attention in which we set our mind on divine things. This kind of conversion is a life long process. It always begins at the baptismal font, as we are signed and sealed, showing that we belong to God. But like the younger prodigal son, we may forget who we really are, letting the world set the agenda for our lives. When this happens, things are out of balance. God is calling us, with a gentle voice, to come back home, to discover again what it means to be embraced as a Child of God, and to make changes in how we see and think and act. The process can be difficult, but it is always worth it because it leads us closer to the love and grace of God and it helps us to realize and experience God s dream for us. On Sunday, October 14, you will be invited in worship to join with other Children continued next page INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Our Church Family 3 Calendar of Events 2 Worship, Church School 2 Kids, Family, Seasonal 3 Group Efforts 4 Next issue: 10/17 Deadline Monday 10/15 9:00 AM Focus is issued the first and third Wednesdays of each month, except July & August. During those two summer months, only one Focus newsletter is published per month. OF SPECIAL INTEREST IN THIS EDITION: College Student Addresses (pg. 3) Brown Bag Lunch (pg. 3) Rev. David Hallgren s Installation Service (pg. 3) World Communion/Peacemaking Sunday (pg. 4) Sr. High Mission Dinner (pg. 4 ) Stephen Ministry (pg. 4) Page 1 of 4

2 of God in making a financial pledge to Christ s ministry through Pennington Presbyterian Church. It may feel like we are fundraising, but we are not. It may feel like giving to charity, but it is really much more than that. We are giving you an opportunity to relate to your resources in a new way, to see and think and act differently when it comes to your care and use of God s gifts. We would never ask this of you if we thought that it would do you harm. We ask you to pray, commit and give as partners in Christ s ministry because it will help you and not harm you! In addition, it will help people of all ages who come here, to encounter God and to grow in faith. It will make a real difference to many in our local community, nation and world who will find their own lives blessed because of your new relationship with your resources. Please join me in this great adventure of faith as we thank God with heart, hands and voices. CALENDAR REGULAR WEEKLY SCHEDULE Sunday 9:00 AM Church School for all ages 10:15 AM Worship Service followed by coffee hour (Note: Cherub Choir for pre-k through grade 1 meets during part of the worship service) 6:30 PM Jr. Highs 7:30 PM Sr. Highs Wednesday 9:15 AM Shalom Women s Bible Study 4:30 PM Genesis Choir (grades 2-5) 5:15 PM Gloria Deo Choir (grades 6 and up) Thursday 7:00 PM Bell Choir 8:00 PM Adult Choir LOOKING AHEAD Oct. 5 Older Adult Ministry Committee Oct. 5 OAM Brown Bag Lunch Oct. 7 World Communion & Peacemaking Offering Oct. 7 Honoring Michele Alford Oct. 8 Stephen Ministers Oct. 10 Worship & Music Committee Oct 11 Men s Lunch Oct. 14 Pledge Sunday Oct. 14 Sr. High Mission Dinner Oct. 15 Book Group Oct. 16 Facilities Committee Oct. 16 C.E. Committee Oct. 17 Stewardship Committee Oct. 21 Rev. David Hallgren installation service Nancy Nancy Mikoski CHURCH STAFF/CONTACT Pastor: Nancy Mikoski Associate Pastor: David Hallgren Office Administrator & FOCUS Editor: Mary Coleman Music Director: William Alford Office phone: Fax: office@pennpres.org Web: 13 S Main Street Pennington, NJ Page 2 of 4 WORSHIP SCHEDULE Sundays Sunday, October 7, 10:15 AM Sermon: Rev. Nancy Mikoski World Communion/Peacemaking Sunday & Celebration of Michele Alford s music ministry Sunday, October 14, 10:15 AM Sermon: Rev. Nancy Mikoski Stewardship Pledge Sunday CHILDREN/ YOUTH CHURCH SCHOOL 9:00 AM AGE 3 THROUGH PRE-K J.A.M.! ( Jesus and Me! ; k-thru-5 th grade) meets in Lower Titus Hall to be shepherded to weekly hands-on workshops. MIDDLE SCHOOL (6-8 th grade) SR. HIGHS (9 12 th grade) NURSERY CARE AVAILABLE Please see page 3 for room locations ADULT CHURCH SCHOOL 9:00 AM We offer the following Sunday classes: FORUM (topics include current events, community concerns, theology, the Bible and Mission) MAKING FAITH REAL (group-led open discussion of faith and Spirit in our daily lives). BIBLICAL LITERATURE AND FOUNDATIONS OF FAITH (explorations of each of the main types of literature in the Bible) Sunday School s not just for kids!

3 KIDS, FAMILY, AND SEASONAL DOINGS JR. HIGHS (6-8 GRADE) & SR. HIGHS (9-12 GRADE) SUNDAY, JR. HIGHS 6:30-8 P.M. & SR. HIGHS 7:30 9 P.M. (unless stated otherwise) Oct. 7 Jr. Highs will meet in Heritage Hall Topic: Worry Not! Sr. Highs will meet in the Pit Topic: Mission Dinner Planning Oct. 14 Jr. Highs will sit together at the Sr. High Mission Dinner at 5 p.m. Sr. Highs will hold their Summer Mission Dinner at 5 p.m. and share their experiences from the Pittsburgh trip with our church family. SUNDAY AM CLASSROOM ASSIGNMENTS: Infants 2yr. olds: Room yr olds - Pre-School: Room th 8 th : Balcony classroom Sr. Highs: The Pit Bible Foundations: The Upper Room Forum: Heritage Hall Making Faith Real: Room 206 Rotations for K-5 th grade: Start in Lower Titus Hall then rotate to different locations. BROWN BAG LUNCH Life of the Lenape When They Lived Here in New Jersey" is the topic for the Friday, October 5 Brown Bag Lunch. Our very own Bill Guthrie will describe how common tools were constructed and used in every day life. He will provide actual artifacts for examination. The interaction of Christianity and the religious life of the Lenape will be examined through a look at how David Brainerd introduced Christianity to the Lenape. The Brown Bag Lunch is at 12:30 in Upper Titus Hall, with fruit, dessert and beverages provided by the Older Adult Ministry Committee. The presentation begins at 1. The public is welcome. SUNDAY FLOWERS The flowers on the altar for our Sunday morning services are a wonderful way to recognize meaningful people in our lives. If you would like to request flowers for any Sunday in 2012, please sign your name on the Flower Chart outside the Deacon s Kitchen, complete the request form, attach your check made out to Pennington Presbyterian Church and mark that check on the memo line for flowers. The minimum flower order is $40, but you are welcome to request a larger arrangement and the florist will be notified. Flowers will not be ordered without the required payment. BOOK GROUP The PPC Book Group will meet on Mon, Oct 15 (7:30-9 pm) at the home of Karin McAnlis (307 Tuxford Court - Brandon Farms) to discuss The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. Please join us - newcomers always welcome! Call Karin with questions or if you need directions: THANK YOU FROM Marilyn Fabian: Thank you to my church family for the prayers, cards and calls. I greatly appreciate all your kindness and support during my knee surgery. ANYONE NEED CANON PRINTER CARTRIDGES? We had a printer that needed to be recycled, so we now have some new ink cartridges that are free to anyone who can use them two magenta and one yellow. They are for BCI -3e and MultiPASS Canon printers. Call the church office if you can use these printer cartridges. COLLEGE STUDENT ADDRESSES Do we have your college student s USPS mailing and address? If not, please contact the church office. We like to keep college students connected by sending them our Focus newsletter. Also, the Deacons mail out care packages at some point during the year to all college students. THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Loving God, as you have loved us, may we reach out with love to others. As you have cared for us, may we be caring toward others. As you promise to be with us, strengthen us to be there for others. Keep our eyes and hearts open to new places where we might serve you and the world in Christ's name. Amen. Presbyterian Mission Yearbook, 2012 OUR CHURCH FAMILY Please keep Kevin Swaim, Ruth Miller and Jon Harkness in your prayers. Barbara Sell is in Care One, Parkway Ave., Ewing, NJ. Room 127. ~~~~~~~ Prayer: Mighty and merciful God, we pray for those who are ill in body or mind, who long for your healing touch. You, Lord, are the light when all is dark. You are the food when we need nourishment. Turn our eyes to where the skies are full of promise; tune our hearts to brave music. This we pray in Jesus name. Amen. Rev. David Hallgren INSTALLATION SERVICE October 21 Please join us Sunday, Oct. 21, 3:00 p.m. in our sanctuary as we celebrate the Installation of David Hallgren as our Associate Pastor at Pennington Presbyterian Church. A reception will be held following the service. Page 3 of 4

4 GROUP EFFORTS SENIOR HIGH MISSION TRIP LASAGNA DINNER SUNDAY, OCT. 14 TH Come hear about their summer Mission Trip to Pittsburgh. Please join us in Heritage Hall on Sunday, October 14 at 5 pm. We will hear from Sr. High students about their transformative experience working for a week in Pittsburgh. This is also a fundraiser for future Sr. High mission projects. WORLD COMMUNION/PEACEMAKING SUNDAY OCTOBER 7 TH JOIN US! The first Sunday in October is designated as World Communion Sunday, which celebrates our oneness in Christ with all our brothers and sisters around the world. Paul tells us that we are to discern the body when we partake of Holy Communion, mindful that we note our relationship to all our brothers and sisters in Christ in the celebration. Thus it is appropriate that World Communion Sunday is also a time when we receive the annual Peacemaking Offering as a way of continuing the ancient Christian practice of sharing what we have with brothers and sisters in need. Why support the Peacemaking Offering? Here are some examples: Your gift will help further Christ s peace by helping to combat bullying in schools while promoting the use of respectful and civil dialogue. Your gift will also help solidify and sustain Presbyterian antiviolence efforts and strengthen our resolve to end the injustice of human trafficking as we continue to offer support to its victims, both at home and abroad. Our PPC local 25% of the Offering will go to Pilgrims of Ibillin. PRES PLUS Pres Plus, our Seniors Group, will meet on Thursday, Oct. 18, 10:00 AM in Upper Titus Hall. The speaker will be Dorothy Allison, a member of our church family, and Nancy Mikoski s mother. Dorothy will share her experiences as a nurse in the Pacific during World War II and her subsequent time in the Middle East. Following her presentation, the group will go to lunch at a nearby restaurant. All Seniors are welcome! For further information, contact Ellen or Don Wright at or don.aa2f@verizon.net IT S YOUR MINISTRY! Stephen Ministry is your ministry. It is an important way we at Pennington Presbyterian care for one another. If you are going through a difficult time, consider having a Stephen Minister. If you know someone else who is facing difficulties, suggest that they request a Stephen Minster. Want more information about Stephen Ministry? Contact Rev. Karin McAnlis, Andrea McDonough, Bob Fletcher or Rev. Nancy Mikoski. SR. HIGH MISSIONAL EXPRESSION Soles4Souls. The Sr. High Fellowship Group is working on a mission project to collect shoes for those in need. If you have any lightly used or new shoes you would like to donate please bring them to the church or drop them off in "The Pit", high school room. PENNINGTON PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 13 S. Main Street Pennington NJ Return Service Requested Page 4 of 4

5 You are Cordially Invited to A Service of Ordination For Miriam Grace Diephouse-McMillan To the Ministry of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA) Miriam will be serving as a Chaplain at Trenton Psychiatric Hospital Saturday, November 3 rd at 3:00 pm A coffee reception will follow the service Pennington Presbyterian Church 13 South Main Street, Pennington NJ