New Castle Presbyterian News August 2018

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1 New Castle Presbyterian News August 2018 In the interim. I wouldn t be able to say, with complete honesty, that our Vacation Bible School week was peaceful. There was a lot of energy and noise of both the 4 year old and the 10 year old variety, and everything in between! Peaceful, no but full of peace? Absolutely! This year s theme PeaceLab couldn t have been more timely. We shared Bible stories of ways God s people made peace in times of trouble: times when they couldn t get along with each other, times when they couldn t figure out how to share the same space, times when some people needed to depend on others for help, times when some people weren t treating others fairly. Times that sound still so familiar. I was grateful for the helpful and hopeful reminders about how God s people resolved their conflicts, made choice to make room for others, to stand up and speak up for others, to care for those who needed help, and to turn to Jesus when we are overwhelmed. I was also truly inspired by The Peace Drums Project, the recipient of our nightly VBS offering. This project began with the vision of a UD Music professor, Harvey Price, and the commitment of Delaware Churches for Middle East Peace, including Westminster Presbyterian Church. Middle School children from 2 schools in Israel/Palestine Leo Baeck in Haifa (Jewish) and Mar Elias in Ibillin (Palestinian Muslim & Christian) play together in a steel drum band. They learn together, create together, tour together and bring their families and communities together, so that it becomes hard to imagine anymore that they are enemies. Peacemaking through music in a place that needs it! You can learn more and hear them play at How might such a model for peacemaking be called for here and now? What are the divides among us in our communities that collaboration could help to bridge? Our July SummerRead book Waking Up White certainly raised the systemic racism that impacts us all. Could developing relationships with our Presbyterian neighbors at Community Presbyterian Church (an African-American congregation) result in some kind of collaboration? And, if so, will we be willing to be changed by it? Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. May we seek out, and live out that blessing as God s children, here and now. Peace to you and through you Jenny

2 VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL THANKS! Thank you to all who brought PEACELAB to life this week in so many ways! From meals to decorations, from games to crafts, from classroom teaching to music and drama, we offered a creative and loving space for us all to learn ways to make peace as God s people. 21 children and 20+ adults shared the week. And our VBS offering of $ will go to support the Peace Drums Project. With thanks to all we couldn t have done it without you! Food donations & Meal Prep Amy Selheimer, coordinator: Susan Jones, Mark Rappold & Ringo Keka, Brenda Walters, Joan & David Lioi, Connie Bell, Makenzie & Andy Schulz, Kelly & Peter McCurdy, Julia Spock, Conchita Showell, Laurie Bell, Joan Smith, Flora Johnson, Gail & CJ Seitz, Miranda Matthews, Jane Fouracre, Julia Barry Craft donations & leadership Lisa & Kaitlyn Raker, coordinators: Jo Viola, Susan Jones, Joan Lioi, Patti Isaacs-Hansen, Sandy Wilson, Peter & Kelly McCurdy, Miranda Matthews, Diana Reilly (and many others who must not have signed the sign up sheet!) On-site leadership: Lyn Briggs, Candy Dunson, Susan Jones (Registration),Melissa Boris & Janet Spring (Pre-K/K), Molly Shaw & Bev Stoudt (1 st & 2 nd ), Diana Reilly, Laurie Bell & Chris Raker (3 rd -5 th ), Minerva Lermond (music), Bruce Raker & Ray Snyder (games), Lisa Raker, Kaitlyn Raker & Susan Jones (crafts), Connie & Laurie Bell (timekeepers), Jenny Warren, Diana Reilly, David & Joan Lioi, Ron Studd & Candy Dunson (worship dramas)

3 AUGUST S SUMMER BOOK-OF-THE-MONTH Join us for our 2 nd summer read together! Available through Amazon- order now! Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again Author: Rachel Held Evans If the Bible isn t a science book or an instruction manual, then what is it? What do people mean when they say the Bible is inspired? When Rachel Held Evans found herself asking these questions, she began a quest to better understand what the Bible is and how it is meant to be read. What she discovered changed her and it will change you too. Drawing on the best in recent scholarship and using her well-honed literary expertise, Evans examines some of our favorite Bible stories and possible interpretations, retelling them through memoir, original poetry, short stories, soliloquies, and even a short screenplay. Undaunted by the Bible s most difficult passages, Evans wrestles through the process of doubting, imagining, and debating Scripture s mysteries. Rachel is an author from the small town of Dayton, Tennessee--home of the famous Scopes Monkey Trial of That was the inspiration for her first book Evolving in MonkeyTown. Then join in an evening of discussion on Tuesday, August 28 at 7:00 pm, hosted by Joan & David Lioi, 201 Natalia Drive, New Castle DE Sign up on the board in Fellowship Hall! COVENANT BIBLE STUDY COMING TO NEW CASTLE! An area-wide, Multi-Church, Inter-Denominational, In-Depth Bible Study is starting up in the Wilmington/New Castle communities starting in September! Not only does this offer the opportunity for comprehensive, in-depth study of the Scriptures, but it intentionally connects us with our neighbors other people of faith in our communities whom we don t see in our own churches on Sunday mornings. This Bible Study involves: 1 90 minute class a week, for 24 weeks, over fall/winter/early spring (4 weeks on, 1 week off) Daily Bible readings (@20 minutes/day) $25 for 3 participant books/person There are 8 Covenant Bible Study locations in the N. Wilmington/Wilmington/New Castle area including the New Castle Senior Center on Fridays from 1-2:30 pm! Sign up deadline August 31. More information/schedule available from Jenny. Challenge yourself to grow your faith with others in your community!

4 JENNY WARREN & KRIS KRAWCZYK VACATION & STUDY LEAVE Jenny Warren will be away on vacation August Kim Eppehimer, preaching August 26 Rev. Tom Speers, emergency pastoral care coverage And on study leave. August 1-August 5 Rourke Moore, preaching August 5 Rev. Andy Jacob, emergency pastoral care coverage Kris will take vacation. August 9- August 10 Office phones will be covered Thursday & Friday from NEW CASTLE AND COMMUNITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH SESSIONS KEEP POTLUCKING! Our Session and the Session from our neighbor church Community Presbyterian Church (Rogers Road) so enjoyed their first Potluck gathering in June, that we did it again in July! It was a joy to begin to connect with the Community elders over great food and lots of laughter. July s gathering was to go a little deeper, to explore our communities that share a zip code, and to listen for what needs there may be that we can partner together to address. Each church in New Castle Presbytery has been given a $5,000 Ignite Spark Grant, to use for mission in a way that engages the congregation (ie, not just check writing). We wonder how we might collaborate on a project with Community and have $10,000 to apply to it never mind the benefit of working together. Stay tuned as the conversations continue!

5 REFLECTIONS FROM SUMMER CAMP Mason & Dylan Reilly This summer, Mason and Dylan Reilly attended a week at Camp Sankanac, with help from our church s camp scholarship fund. They share some of their experience here: Camp Sankanac s motto, The Greatest Place on Earth, isn t just there for self-promotion. It s true. The camps very purpose is to educate children and adults alike in worship and praise, while still emphasizing fun and play equally. New weekly themes keep the experience there fresh and energetic, offering a new take on worship each week. The electives the children can choose to participate in can teach them important life skills (ie. fishing, riflery, cooking), with a bible verse related to the activity the children must memorize to pass the elective. The trading post lets the children to purchase either snacks or camp memorabilia with funds given to them in the beginning of the week in a store account. At the end of the week, campers can give their own testimonials about where they are in their faith, and can share past experiences with the camp or with God. To conclude, Camp Sankanac is a place that shows that learning and fun can both be used to teach about God s word for everyone to hear. I personally loved camp more than words can express. I felt such a spiritual presence there that I felt like God was with us watching and keeping us safe. The activities appealed to everyone of every walk of life, and excluded no one. Every week you came home feeling like a new person, and you feel like a change was made. I enjoyed every activity they had (paintball hurts, though), and the church services were very enthusiastic and energetic with the singing. And yes, the food was amazing ~ Mason Reilly I had a great time at Camp Sankanac! That was the best week ever out of the 6 years I ve been going there! The theme of our week was trick shot week. We did all sorts of activities that revolve around trick shots (acts that require skill and focus in order to achieve a goal). Camp Sankanac also does a traditional Mission Impossible (MI). In mission impossible, each of the cabins have a flag with the name of the said cabin s name on it, and it usually always starts around 11:30 at night. Than each cabin has to go and retrieve their flag and not get caught by guards or else they have to start all over again. This week of MI, I had to cross a creek and walk through a patch of thorns. Besides that it was fun! One activity we did for trick shot week was in the pool. My cabin started off in the shallow end of the pool. What we did was, we lined up campers along 3 side the pool that outlined the shallow end. Than, we put someone on the water slide with a basketball. His job (since this was an all boys week) was to go down the slide an throw the ball to the person next to him before he went in the water. Than whoever caught the ball had to jump in the pool and throw it next to him before he got in the water. This goes on until the ball reaches the final person. Once that happens, the last person with the ball has to jump, dunk the ball in pool basketball net, and land in the water. Another activity required me to walk in the creek and throw ping-pong balls into the canoes of other cabins. I got pinched by a lot crayfish. Every week we have a missionary come in and share the word of God to all of the kids, and sometimes we ll get special people to come in. I think the coolest missionary is Sam Sandler. Sam Sandler is a deaf illusionist who travels from school to school, camps to camps, and does awesome tricks. After he does his magic, he talks about how God has changed his life. The cool thing is, I ve seen him at Camp Sankanac before, but that was 5 years ago! Each week, we have to choose 2 out of many electives to choose from and we do those 2 electives every day. I took fishing and riflery. I only caught one fish, Mason caught 3, and this kid Jordan caught a small largemouth bass. I did very well in riflery class since I have shot firearms time and time again. The food was Great! I can t recall exactly what we had, but all I know is that it was really good. Every day after lunch we have a rest hour, where we rest and do our bible work, and after that, we have free time where all of the campers can go to the trading post and buy souvenirs, candy, sodas etc. We are also allowed to go in the pool, go to the riflery range, and a bunch of other stuff. Free time was also the time where I got to see my younger cousin the most. All in all, I had a great time! ~ Dylan Reilly

6 PNC UPDATE The Pastor Nominating Committee is in process of finalizing all of the documentation needed to complete the Ministry Information Form. We are looking forward to a busy fall and thankful for the support of the congregation! BARBARA BEAUMONT MEMORIAL SERVICE We informed the congregation about Barbara s death back in May. A Memorial Service will be held in the Meeting House on Saturday August 11 at 1:00 p.m., with a reception to follow in Fellowship Hall. God s continued peace to her daughters Sarah and Caroline, and all their families. CHURCH OFFICER TRAINING Newly elected elders, deacons and trustees (along with those continuing in service) will take part in Church Officer Training on Monday, July 30, 7-9 pm and on Sunday, August 12, 12-2 pm. Their ordination/installation date is scheduled for Sunday, September 9. SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS December 8, 2018! Calling all artisans! Do you like to sew, knit/crochet, paint, decoupage, or create art in any other form that can be sold at the Spirit of Christmas? Or you could make an item from previous Spirit of Christmas projects; we can provide instructions if needed. The December 8 event is only a few months away. It's time to dust off those old skills that have been lying dormant in the attic of our artistic minds for way too long, and start creating! We welcome any handmade things, including knit/crocheted winter-wear, hand-painted items, sewn necessities, or any other handmade treasures! For general Spirit of Christmas information, contact Pat Taylor at pstedu@yahoo.com, Miranda Matthews at thecatmagnet@yahoo.com, or Kelly Koczak McCurdy at kelly.a.koczak@gmail.com. We can always use new volunteers!

7 BABIES ARE A BLESSING Pat & David Taylor have welcome another grandson! Henry Victor Lazatin Taylor was born in Houston, TX, on June 28. He is the second child of Mike and Anette, and our fourth grandchild. God is good! Mission and Outreach News Friendship House Breakfast Program September 1 and 2 Our church will be responsible for preparing and serving breakfast at the Episcopal Church of St. Andrew and St. Matthew located at 8th and Shipley Street in Wilmington, DE. We will prepare the quiche on Saturday, September 1 at 3:00 p.m. (time may change based on program needs of the church) and we will serve at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 2. There will be sign-up sheets posted in the C.E. Building for volunteers to prepare and serve the quiche and also for food donations of 5 lbs. of chopped ham, 1 gallon of milk, peppers and onions (can be frozen or fresh) and 5 lbs. of shredded cheese. This is Labor Day weekend, so please check your calendars before you sign up. Our next opportunity to serve will be December 15 and 16. Mission and Outreach Survey The Mission and Outreach Task Force has finished creating a survey to assess the current and future goals for our mission programs. We will send the survey via Survey Monkey and also through the September newsletter/bulletins. Your answers will be very helpful and necessary, so please take the time to complete the survey. It is very brief, mostly yes or no questions, but there are also opportunities to make comments and suggestions. Thank you for your time. DID YOU KNOW? Presbyterian Disaster Assistance needs volunteers!

8 THANKS FOR SERVING IN AUGUST! COMMUNION August 5 Scott Mathews USHERS August 5 Chris Fagles & August 12 Ray Snyder & Gene Mayhew August 19 - Ray Snyder & Gene Mayhew August 26 - & COFFEE HOUR HOSTS August 5 Ray Snyder August 12 - Sarah McCann August 19 Ringo Keka & Miranda Matthews August 26 - Bruce Raker WORSHIP LEADERS August 5 Ray Snyder August 12 Jane Fouracre August 19 Joan Smith August 26 Minerva Lermond NURSERY August 5 Andrew Lundgren & Bev Stoudt August 12 Melissa Boris & Molly Shaw August 19 Melissa Boris & Molly Cooney August 26 Amanda & James Anderson COUNTERS August 5 Jane Fouracre & Carol Mayhew August 12 Cynthia Robbins & August 19 - Jane Fouracre & Carol Mayhew August 26 Jo Viola & EMMANUEL DINING ROOM Cynthia Robbins Steve Martin And others FLOWERS Brenda Walters

9 August Birthdays and Anniversaries Avery Shaw, 8/1 Patti Isaacs-Hansen, 8/1 Tony Reilly, 8/4 George Spock, 8/4 Doug Esham, 8/6 Alex Barry, 8/7 Rod Denison, 8/8 Juliann Barry, 8/15 Miranda Matthews, 8/16 Christine Collins, 8/18 Shirley Knox, 8/20 Ray Snyder, 8/23 Sally Brett, 8/24 Gail Seitz, 8/24 Robert Swick, 8/26 Daniel Knox, 8/27 Michael Armstrong, 8/28 Ron Studd, 8/28 Pat Adair, 8/30 Ron & Susan Studd, 8/6 Kelly Koczak-McCurdy & Peter McCurdy, 8/6 Cynthia Robbins & Steve Martin, 8/7 Pat & Dave Taylor, 8/9 Patti Isaacs-Hansen & Allen Hansen, 8/11 Carol & Gene Mayhew, 8/15 Phoebe & Robert Dill, 8/25 Molly & David Shaw, 8/31

10 Meals on Wheels HELP! We need Meals on Wheels delivery people for Call Susan Flook at if you are interested. Substitutes needed, too. No weekend deliveries. Thanks. Consider this as your call in Christ! Our next delivery will be August If anyone is interested in delivering meals to shut-in Seniors in the New Castle area, please contact the office at Monday 27 Tuesday 28 Wednesday 29 Thursday 30 Friday 31 Jude Morrow Miranda Matthews Jo Viola Joan Smith Gene & Carol Mayhew Cynthia Robbins Nanette Nichol Susan & Jim Flook Monthly Report Look here each month for a statistical report on the life of the congregation: Membership: June July Income thru 07/01/18: 2018 Budget:... $142, Actual:... $140, Expenses thru 07/01/18: 2018 Budget:... $134, Actual:... $132,072.00

11 New Castle Presbyterian Church 25 E. 2 nd Street New Castle, DE Phone: (302) Fax: (302) office@newcastlepreschurch.org Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Address Change Requested Contact the New Castle Presbyterian Church office: office@newcastlepreschurch.org Contact: The Rev. Jenny Warren at jpwarren@newcastlepreschurch.org Next Newsletter Deadline is August 20, 2018