POMPTON REFORMED CHURCH NEWSLETTER

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1 POMPTON REFORMED CHURCH NEWSLETTER June Hamburg Turnpike Pompton Lakes, NJ Dear PRC Family, On Pentecost Sunday, Elder Drew Altorfer shared during worship the experience of our elders on the day before Easter, praying over and burning the private prayers and confessions that had been pinned to the sanctuary cross. In case you were not present, Elder Elaine Peacock shares her impressions. BURNING OF THE CROSS PRAYERS The Elders and Pastor Debbie gathered in the sanctuary on the Saturday before Easter to prepare the cross for the Easter Sunday flowers and pray over the prayers pinned to the cross. The prayers that were pinned to the cross were taken down, not read, but prayed over and then burned. The Elders sat in a circle on the steps at the foot of the altar: the prayers were in a bowl in front of us. Each elder gave a spontaneous prayer for the unread prayers. As we were praying, hands joined together, we heard footsteps coming down the hallway to the sanctuary. The footsteps stopped at the door and paused and then walked back down the hall. We all assumed it was Pastor Tom, but we later found out he was not in the building that day. At that time, as far as we know, we were the only people in the building. After we finished praying, we headed outside with the papers. Each Elder held a few of the prayers in his or her hands and prayed for their authors. After the papers were set ablaze, we again each offered a prayer. We formed a circle and held hands. The smoke arose from the papers and went around the circle stopping in front of each one of us for a few seconds. As the papers burned we could see a formation of a rose, a large cabbage rose. As the fire intensified the rose kept opening up more and more. When one of the elders stirred the embers to see if the fire was completely out, we then saw a face form in the ashes. One could plainly see the outline of the eyes, nose, mouth and chin. Finally, the burnt papers became a small mound of rose petals. We all agreed it was a beautiful, moving experience. The ashes were put in a jar and put at the foot of the cross; they will be kept there until next Easter when they will be cast to the winds just as the ashes from Easter 2012 were this year. It was a beautiful ending when the winds carried last year s ashes up to God. Respectfully, Elder Elaine Peacock

2 Happenings for 2013 Grads and Dads, brides and pride June has some exciting times, check out some others below! Flip your calendar and mark it for the following events. More events and activities will be included with even more details as time moves on! We look forward to a fun and fulfilling 2013! June 23 - Strawberry Festival immediately following Service. July 21 - Ice Cream and Pie immediately following Service. August 18 - Ice Cream Social immediately following Service. September 15 - Church Picnic October 5 - Bus Trip to Sight and Sound to see "Noah. October 19 - There s 138 days until Autumnfest! December 11 - Senior Luncheon. December 22 - Cookie Social- immediately following the Service. Autumnfest 13 Updates Please start collecting items for the Holiday Shop. The items can include ALL holidays such as Valentine's Day, and St. Patrick's Day and Easter, as well as Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Please remember to bring back a souvenir from your favorite vacation spot. If you and a few friends want to make up a basket to be given away, tell Jo-Ann Sisco the theme. If you have any new ideas for Autumnfest please let Jo-Ann know. Vendors or Crafters, get your contract in quickly. The inside spaces go very fast! The vendor form is on the last page of the newsletter. Thank you in advance for all of your help and prayers! May God Bless You All! ~Your Fellowship Committee Minutes from ALL of PRC s committees and consistory are posted on the hallway bulletin board by the office. Check out what our committees are doing, and feel free to sit in anytime. All meetings are open, and volunteers are welcomed!

3 From In Memory of Designation William Jackson Bertha Jackson Undesignated William Jackson Joan Merecky Undesignated Dani Happe Tony Mead Endowment Royal Master Grinders Raymond Allen, Sr. Undesignated David & Janet Hackbarth Wilma McKechnie Endowment Elaine Peacock Wilma McKechnie Undesignated Dot Ploch Walt Ploch Scholarship An additional donation From Elaine Peacock in honor of her mother, Kay Peacock,on Mother s Day. to Coordinate Vacation Bible School No experience necessary, just a love of sharing the Gospel with the youngest disciples and a love of laughter and giggles. Benefits included! Benefits package: lifetime of memories packed in a short five days and the knowledge that your time and talent are being used to build the Kingdom of God. You will be working alongside Pastor Debbie and many other dedicated individuals to bring VBS to PRC this year. Vacation Bible School will be July 15 th through the 19 th with a closing program on the evening of the 19 th. Contact Pastor Debbie for details.

4 Leaving the Barriers Behind Submitted by Roben Roon This article is written by Mark Stephenson who is the director of disability concerns for the Christian Reformed Church. Healthy Churches see Almond Blossoms We re getting older! According to the US Census and Statistics Canada, the proportion of senior citizens may reach 23% by Statistics Canada reports that seniors will become more numerous than children somewhere around As we age, we become more likely to experience disability, whether hearing or sight problems, mobility issues, dementia and many other challenges. Most people of 75 years of age live with a disability of some kind. Since the number of elderly people will continue to increase, the sheer numbers of people in North America living with disabilities will grow dramatically. Healthy churches seek to include all people living with disabilities, whatever their age. Healthy churches not only seek to meet needs but also to encourage people to use their gifts. Other people, including those with disabling conditions, bring many gifts to the church including discipline, wisdom, commitment and time. The Bible pictures gray hair as a blossoming almond tree (Ecclesiastes 12:5). The gray blossoms on the heads of older people do not suggest the end but the beginning of a season: old age as springtime! With all of the challenges that come with increasing age, one of them shouldn t be a neglectful church. Rather, the healthy churches encourage blossoming almond trees to use their gifts for the glory of God and the building up of his church. * * * * * * * * * Join Pastors Tom and Debbie for the Summer message series on:

5 Dear PRC Family, We just wanted to take a few moments of your time to thank you. Your constant love, support and well wishes during Logan's battle with OMS has been overwhelming. The outpouring of love from a congregation that is not our own has moved us deeply. Words can never convey our gratitude. While Logan's battle with OMS will be a life long battle, he will grow up knowing that there is a loving place for him here. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Andy, Anja & Logan Norman Thank you Pastor Debbie, Pastor Tom, Elaine Peacock, Elyse Kascik and all my wonderful church family for all your prayers, cards, phone calls, visits, meals and goodies. They have all meant a great deal to me at a time when I needed them the most. I also want to thank and bless each and every one who had a hand in putting together the lovely prayer gift. I am so blessed to have such a caring extended church family. Thank you again. In Christ s love, Nancy Carnes Received in a lovely blue Forget-Me-Not note card was the following note: Hi Everyone, Your wonderful notes and cards have let me know you Forget-Me- Not. I will make it back soon. The painkillers are rather stupefying so I am awake only a few hours each day. Love you all. Hugs, Judy Foester

6 You can beautify the sanctuary on most Sundays by purchasing Chancel Flowers for a $36 donation in memory or in honor of loved ones. Many dates are still open. Contact the church office to schedule your date Membership/Inquirer s Class Membership/Inquirer s Class is to begin for all who are interested in making profession or reaffirmation of faith in Jesus Christ, and affirming your membership with Pompton Reformed. Notify the pastors of your interest. Earthly Fathers By Elaine Peacock ~This is dedicated to my very special Dad, Albert Peacock, who has been gone since Our heavenly father knew he couldn t be there to teach us to ride a bike or even be up all night on Christmas Eve putting the bike together, so he created those special earthly men we call Father, Dad, Daddy or Pop: that man we sometimes take for granted. You remember those times don t you? Here are a few examples; how about the time you needed his strong shoulders so you could have a better view of the parade, the time he took you fishing and baited the hook for you or the time he helped you with your math homework or a special school project. Earthly fathers were created by God to help guide us through this maze we call life. When we are little he is the smartest dad in the world, when we are teenagers we think we are smarter than he is but when we grow into adulthood and look back at our lives; we realize dad was always there for us no matter what crisis we were facing at the time. He was the one sitting in the front row at our game or play smiling that proud smile. He was the one shedding a tear at our graduation or wedding. So whether your dad lives close by or far away, whether he is still with you or a heart full of memories, take some time to think of all the wonderful ways your earthly father touched your life and how he made even ordinary days special.

7 PARISH HEALTH MINISTRY PAGE Blueprint for Men s Health Silent Health Crisis Dr. David Gremillion of the Men s Health Network says, There is a silent health crisis in America it s a fact that, on average, American men live sicker and die younger than American women. That s a pretty startling statement and an eye-opener. Part of the reason for this health gap is that men don t take care of themselves as well as women do. In 1920, women outlived men by an average of one year. Today, that difference is more like seven years. Prevention More than half of premature deaths among men are preventable, along with 60% of chronic diseases, and most injuries and some accidents. However, you can t prevent a problem if you don t know it exists. Taking charge of preventative care can result in health protection. This includes regular check-ups and ageappropriate screenings. Men are half as likely to visit a doctor for a check-up as women are, and there are over 7 million American men who haven t seen a doctor in over 10 years. Why does this happen? Part of the reason is the way boys are raised. As little boys, maybe they were taught not to cry, not to complain, and not to show what was considered any signs of weakness. It was important to be brave and ignore aches and pains and play through any injuries. In their 20s, young men think they re indestructible and often wouldn t even consider going to the doctor. In their 30s, career and family are the focus, and by the time they re in their 40s they don t go because they re afraid of what they might find out or don t want to have a rectal exam (understandable). Being tough may have its advantages but it also can have dire effects. Many health problems can be cured if they re caught early. JUNE- Men s health month In 1994, Senate Joint Resolution 179 was passed by Congress to designate a week in June as Men s Health Week. It is a lengthy resolution with many whereas sentences but clearly supports the need to raise awareness regarding this important issue. This has grown into the effort of the Men s Health Network, each year, to the promotion of June as Men s Health Month and wearing blue for men s health. On Sunday, June 16, why don t YOU, the PRC family, join in raising awareness by WEARING BLUE. Men s health is not only a concern of the male gender, it is a matter that affects every person in their lives. MEN get it checked!! The following SAMPLE of a maintenance schedule is a reminder of the need to take responsibility for safeguarding your health. Regular check-ups and age appropriate screenings CAN improve your health and reduce premature death and disability. If you are a member of a high risk group or have a family history of disease, your health care provider can advise you about the benefits of earlier screenings. q Physical exam every 2-3 years prior to age 59; every year after age 60 q TB skin test - every 5 years q Electrocardiogram (EKG) Baseline at age 40 q Rectal exam every year q Chest x-ray should be considered in smokers over age of 45 q Self exam skin, testicles, breast, oral q Bone health discuss with physician - age 60 As observers of Men s Health Week, the Health Ministry encourages all of the church family, men, women, and children to WEAR BLUE on June 19 and raise awareness of the importance of Men s Health. We love all of you and want you to be around for a long time you can do your part to make that happen. Carol O'Neil is Nancy Begin's mother, and serves as Parish Nurse at Old Paramus Reformed Church.

8 Consistory Roundtable of Thanks! (from May's Consistory) -All the volunteers and coordinators who helped to make our May 4 Community Breakfast such a delightful day for so many. Over 200 guests were served, along with over 40 volunteers from the PRC community. --Our Sunday School Teachers and Christian Educators: Joanie Warner, Angie Norman, Mary Bartha, Roben Roon, Lynda Amels, Sue Kuebler, Michael DeBlock, Michele DeJesus, Maryann Waibel, Bruce Davis, Lorna Carroll, and Lucas Spann. Special thanks also to Jessica Fischer for coordinating our nursery, and to Lorna Carroll, who retires after 27 years of teaching kids in Sunday School! Well done, good and faithful servants. NEW DEADLINE FOR THE SUMMER NEWSLETTER THE NEWSLETTER WILL ONLY BE PUBLISHED ONCE OVER THE SUMMER. THE DEADLINE for the JULY/AUGUST NEWSLETTER WILL BE JULY 14. THE NEWSLETTER WILL BE PUBLISHED THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY, JULY 21. Spanish as a Second Language Want to learn some conversational Spanish? A class is being offered here at PRC in June by Paul Chuquimarca, member of the Oasis Con Christo, our sister church which worships here on Saturday nights. Paul is a PLHS senior and is providing this as a community service and as a requirement for a scholarship. More details to follow. Let Pastor Debbie know if you are interested. Pull Tab Collection In other PLHS news, a student is collecting pull-tabs from cans as a fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House in Cincinnati, where his family stayed while he was receiving treatment. A container is in the kitchen. Save your tabs and let s fill it up!

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10 Apple Juice donations are needed for after worship service. Please drop them off in the kitchen. Thanks! 1st Wed., June 5: 6:30 pm Operations Committee 7:30 pm Worship Committee 2 nd Sat., June 8: Quilting Ministry 2 nd Sun., June 9: 11:30 am Youth Team 2 nd Mon., June 10: 7 pm Finance Committee 2 nd Wed., June 12: 7:30 pm Missions Team 3 rd Mon., June 17: 7:15 pm Christian Education Committee 3 rd Wed., June 19: 7:00 pm Consistory 4 th Wed., June 26: 7:30 pm Fellowship Committee Every Tuesday: 1:30 pm Knitters & Crocheters ~Bell Choir is off until the fall. Seeya in September!~ Pasta sauce, canned fruit, mac & cheese, Parmalat milk, canned veggies (corn, carrots, peas and beans), Jell-o, pudding and baked beans. Low-fat, low-sodium products are always accepted. Thank you for supporting this important mission needed by so many! The Deadline for Newsletter Articles for the summer newsletter has been changed. Please send submissions to prcletter@gmail.com or feel free to drop it in the mail slot in the church office! The deadline for July/August's newsletter is Sunday, July 14, 2013.

11 MISSION & OUTREACH PRAYER CALENDAR JUNE 2013 May 2013 ~ June 2013 ~ Jul 2013 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Urban Promise Urban Trekkers Senior Rites of Passage 5 day trip 2 Mosaic Ministry Team Planning Meeting for future events 3 Bessie Green Community Volunteers 4 New Brunswick Theological Seminary Students taking their oral exams 5 Christian Health Care Center Residents & staff of Heritage Manor Nursing Home 6 Mark & Deb Wilson In Cambodia National elections leaders who seek peace & justice 7 Saturday School Joy in relationships and social activities 8 Quilting Ministry PRC graduating high school seniors who will receive their quilts 9 Bruce & Laurie Hawley Preparation for work & relationships in Manahawkin 16 Andrea Linder Mephibosheth in Ghana Wisdom in the management of the school 10 Words of Hope Christians being persecuted in Kashmir 17 Community Garden Bounty to share with those that come to our food pantry Family Promise Coordinator orientation AA Meeting Perseverance Mission & Outreach Team Meeting Increased participation in mission opportunities 19 Hope College Rest & relaxation for faculty & students 20 Warwick Center Training of camp staff Family Promise Fund Raising 14 Angel Food Open hearts of recipients to God s grace 21 Holland Christian Home Wisdom & discernment for the Board of Directors 15 Kist-Okazakis In Japan Growth of the Oyama Church 22 Doug Leonard In Oman Deepening relationships with the Muslim community 23 Jarad Cave Thanksgiving for amazing relationships in this first year of ministry 24 Food Pantry Smooth transition to new pantry use policies 25 Northwestern College On-line learning program 26 Central College Summer jobs for students seeking work Couto Family - Gospel Mission of South America For God to raise up another worker for this field Reformed Church Home Residents ease of adjustment in changes of aging 29 Reformed Church World Service Response to families in Moore Oklahoma 30 Western Theological Seminary Students taking oral exams

12 AUTUMNFEST/CRAFT FAIR Sponsored by Pompton Reformed Church 59 Hamburg Turnpike, Pompton Lakes, NJ October 19, :00 am - 4:00 pm Thank you for expressing an interest in being a crafter/vendor at Autumnfest The 3rd Saturday in October will be here soon plans are being finalized for our Autumnfest/Craft Fair. Please read the guidelines below and submit your contract and payment as soon as possible. Space is limited so sign up early! Registration will begin upon our receipt of the completed application and payment of fees. Spaces will be assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis. Applications must be received by Saturday, September 14. Fee is $20.00 for a 6 by 8 space in Fellowship Hall. You must bring your own table. Payment - checks or money orders made out to: Pompton Reformed Church Cancellations will be accepted until Friday, October 4th. No refunds will be given after October 4 th and/or in the event of rain. There is NO raindate. Indoor spaces and electricity are limited. Outdoor spaces on the lawn you will be responsible to provide your own tent/pop-up covering and table. Space will be unrestricted and no electricity is available. Crafters/Vendors must provide their own tables. There will be no provisions made to have tables available to any Vendor/Crafter the day of the Autumnfest! Two chairs will be provided per table. Please do not infringe on your neighbor s space. Every effort will be made to accommodate every vendor s need. There will be limited electricity; please note need for this on application. No loud machinery, music or loudspeakers allowed. Crafters/Vendors must be available at their tables at all times. The church will not be responsible for any thefts or damage to your property. You must be responsible for collecting your own taxes. Set-up will begin at 8:00 AM. Crafters/Vendors agree to stay until the closing time of 4:00 pm unless you sell out. Coffee and for vendors will be available during setup. Lunch and beverages will be available for purchase or you may bring your own. There will be no admission charge to the public. Autumnfest will be publicized in all local newspapers, Channel 77, flyers in schools and around town, WGHT as well as signage on Library sign and Church property. Cut Along Line and Return as Noted: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Return to: Jo-Ann Sisco PRC Autumnfest Craft Committee Coordinator, 23 Durham Street Pompton Lakes, New Jersey Name Address Phone # Detailed Description of Craft/Vendor Mdse Electricity Yes or No (circle one) Indoor Outdoor on Lawn Crafter/Vendor Signature: