Good News Fall Upcoming Preaching Schedule. Welcome Back Sundae Sunday. A Service of Prayer. 9/11 Memorial Service.

Transcription

1 Good News A Newsletter of The Community Reformed Church at Manhasset FALL ~ 2017 All who believe, seek or doubt are welcome! A Message from Pastor Donna The River Flows A couple of weeks ago I was driving in Connecticut and got detoured off of Interstate 84. As I was following the cars in front of me, I realized that I was closer to my destination than I thought, so I decided to go off the main road and drive to where I thought I needed to be. After a few minutes I realized that I had driven over a couple of roadway bridges that were over water. I noticed that the road sign next to each bridge named the body of water underneath. And it was the same body of water. I knew I wasn t lost and going over the same bridge over and over because the scenery, home or farm was different every time. After the fourth or fifth sign I pulled over and pulled up my Google Map on the phone, just to see where I was and to get a better look at what this body of water was doing. Well, wouldn t you know this one river was very twisty-turney in this particular part of Connecticut and it carved out U-turns as it meandered to the Long Island Sound to the south. That s why I kept driving over it, even though I knew I was going in an easterly direction towards my destination. U-Turns represent a changing in direction, and in this case, the river necessitated using the U-turn through the countryside in order to flow to its intended destination. I m sure that over the course Join us for Sunday Worship at 10 : 30 am. of years, the river itself met with resistance in the dirt, rocks, plants and trees that it came into contact with as it tried to flow south. These trees, plants, dirt and rocks are indeed barriers, but the water adapted to stay the intended course. CRC Manhasset is in this change of direction, a time of transition for this beloved body of Christ. As a family of faith we can continue to flow with the river of life that is Christ, occasionally making a U-turn, and yet still proceeding in the direction that God desires. For many of us, though, our human nature begs us to resist when change rears its ugly head. We may resist to the point that the desire to get out of the river and watch from banks afar is more desirable than engaging in the day-to-day energy needed to grow in this moving of the Holy Spirit. Proverbs tells us An anxious heart weighs a person down, but a kind word cheers them up. If this is where you feel you are during this time of transition, know that the family of faith at CRC Manhasset understands and is here for you. Pastor Donna and the Consistory are always available if you need a kind word or two (or three or four!) Regular worship hours (10:30 AM) resume on September 10. Our hope and prayer at CRC is that we ~ continued on next page The COMMUNITY REFORMED Church at Manhasset 90 Plandome Road, Manhasset, NY

2 A Message From Pastor Donna continued can share our kind words with you in person. So, yes, there will be U-Turns and at times fast moving water, but it s Christ s water of life and where Christ is leading we will go. It is God that will move this church regardless of the limits we place on that movement. Sisters and Brothers in Christ, we are going to go over and through a lot of U-Turns in the coming months but I invite you to grab on to Christ, who is our saver-of-life, and journey with us. To God be the Glory, Rev. Donna Field Transition Minister Follow Pastor Donna on Welcome Back Sundae Sunday Sunday, September 10, 10:30am September 10th will be our first Sunday back to the Fall schedule, with Sunday School at 9:15 am, worship at 10:30 am. Enjoy a post-worship ice cream party to kick off the new church season. A Service of Prayer Sunday, September 17, 10:30am Please join us on Sunday, September 17th post worship in the library for A Service of Prayer led by Laurie Bosworth. All are welcome! Upcoming Preaching Schedule Sunday Worship at 10:30 am Sept. 10 Rev. Greg Town First Day of Sunday School (9:15am) Sept. 17 Rev. David Sung Sept. 24 Susan Converse NO SUNDAY SCHOOL Oct. 1 Rev. Maudelin Willock World Communion Sunday Oct. 8 Rev. Kelvin Spooner Oct. 15 Rev. David Sung Oct. 22 Susan Converse, Student under care, NS Classis Oct. 29 Rev. Ann Kansfield 500 Anniversary of the Reformation Nov. 5 Rev. Donna Field Lord s Supper Nov. 12 Rev. Sam Clover Nov. 19 Rev. Dyanne Pina Thanksgiving Sunday Nov. 26 Rev. Jes Kast Recorded sermons are online at 9/11 Memorial Service You re Invited Manhasset Community 9/11 Service will be held at 8am and 8pm at the Mary Jane Davies Park, 220 Plandome Road. Jason and Megan Wick, new members at CRC, with Pastor Steve, at the baptism of their daughter Coraline on August 6th.

3 Good News A Message from Pastor Steve With Gratitude In my last article to you, I want to reiterate what an honor it has been to serve you these past six years. Watching our church grow and revitalize has brought me incredible joy and satisfaction. Many have expressed similar feelings over the years. Those of us who have been growing in spiritual maturity through regular participation in worship, discipleship groups, Bible studies, prayer and service to others have not only helped to fulfill our mission but have improved our overall witness to this community. In fact, our renewed commitment to Christ and sincere love for His church has helped to change our bottom line significantly, giving us the ability to be more engaged in ministry, renovate sacred spaces on campus and attract new families and individuals into our faith community. There can be no doubt that we, as the Body of Christ, have grown together. I will be eternally grateful for the wonderful send off you gave to me and my family on Sunday, August 6th. It was a joyous occasion, abounding with God s love and grace (not to mention the delicious foods and desserts!). Our worship, as well as the Memorial Garden dedication in the historic Rosewood cemetery, helped to heighten our consciousness of God as well as our reverence for life. Thank you for such wonderful memories, both personal and indelibly spiritual. As I look back at what has transpired here since January of this year, I am thankful for the ways in which we could worship and minister together. There was positive feedback regarding our guest preachers during the winter months: Dr. Daniel Meeter of Old First Reformed Church Brooklyn (March) and Dr. Chuck DeGroat of Western Theological Seminary (January). Our healing services, with time for prayer and the anointing of oil, have also been greatly appreciated. F a ll Participation in spiritual formation opportunities has remained steady, including our Men s and Women s Bible studies, Lenten Wednesdays as well as the discipleship group that met with me over the program year. Your dedication to personal spiritual growth has not gone unnoticed. It has been refreshing and inspiring to me as your pastor and teacher and to countless others. It is also encouraging to report that our service to the community is ever expanding and can be felt by many. During this interstitial period, the Consistory and staff will help the church stay the course until the next full-time minister is called. I ve been informed that special focus will be on children s and youth ministry a shared ministry that our Consistory and the Vestry at Christ Episcopal Church Manhasset are determined to fully resource and build up over the years to come. While the search for your next pastoral leader takes place, I am confident that people s lives will continue to be shaped and changed by the gospel. So, thank you! We have served well together and had a lot of fun along the way. Ministering alongside of you has blessed me in more ways than can be counted. It s because of your continued faithfulness to Christ and to His ministry through the Community Reformed Church at Manhasset that the church s next 285 years of ministry look so promising. Grace and peace always! Pastor Steve Pierce Memorial Garden dedication on Aug. 6 in the historic Rosewood Cemetery; resting lambs sculpture inset.

4 Search Team Update The search team met on August 15th, beginning with a reception with the consistory and ending with an orientation from Rev. James Eastland - the classis-appointed supervising minister who will be guiding us through the transition to a new pastor. Rev. Eastland gave the team an overview on what to expect in the coming months as well as some recommendations on how to proceed with the next step of the search process - completing a self-study. The self-study is an important step in looking for a new pastor and will help us, as a congregation, to better understand who we are - our strengths and weaknesses as a community - and what we're looking for in a new pastor. In the coming weeks, the search team will be gathering information from the congregation to complete a self-study for CRC at Manhasset. This is the step of the search process that will be open to the entire church community so please participate if you can. We will make sure that the opportunities to provide input are widely communicated so that everyone will be able to take part. Chris Bosworth Chair for Search Team Men s Ministry The men s weekly Bible study begins Wed., Sept. 13. They meet every Wednesday morning at 7:00 am in the library. They are currently studying Acts for Everyone (part II) by N.T. Wright. Youth Ministry Welcome Michelle Rizzo! The Community Reformed Church at Manhasset and Christ Church welcomes Michelle Rizzo, our new Nursery Sunday School teacher. Michelle is an elementary school teacher with experience in teaching religion. She is a graduate of the State University at Oneonta and achieved her Master s degree in Education at St. John s University. She currently teaches 4th grade in the Syosset School District. She is excited to be part of the faith community here in Manhasset and is looking forward to teaching our littlest ones about Jesus. Sunday School Fall Dates Sunday, September 10 Welcome Back Sunday Sunday School begins 9:15am Worship begins 10:30am Sunday, September 24 No Sunday School Sunday, Ocober 29 Sunday School Halloween celebration costumes! Women s Ministry The women s Bible study group begins Tues., Sept. 19. They meet every Tuesday at 11:00 am in the library. They are currently studying the Gospel of Matthew and using N.T. Wright s book, Matthew for Everyone. Invite a friend to join you! Pastor Steve and members of Consistory during a Litany of Release and Blessing.

5 CRC Outreach Please join us as we serve the greater community in the following ways: September 23 Day of Service Beach Clean-up day with the Manhasset Bay Protection Committee ALL AGE GROUPS (with adult chaperones for the younger kids) are invited to help with a beach clean up starting at 9:30am at Manorhaven Town Park Beach. Bring water, and wear old clothes and protective shoes that can get wet, hat, sunscreen, and bug repellent. Latex gloves, trash bags, and some drinks and snacks will be provided. Upcoming Fall Outreach n Operation Christmas Child (CRC, NSNS, CC) Boxes and instructions to be given out starting Oct. 8, Return by Nov. 12. n Port Washington Schools Clothing/Coat Drive n Thanksgiving Food Drive (CRC, NSNS) Nov (donations back by 11/19) n Port Washington Parents Resource Center Christmas Outreach n Manhasset Schools Outreach (TBD once school resumes in Sept.) Sanctuary stained glass window detail from the St. John window. John s symbol is the strutting eagle. This year we will need help. Please prayerfully consider a commitment to serving. You will be not just helping the Outreach Team, but ensuring that the greater community beyond the doors of CRC Manhasset is served in a loving Christ-like way. On behalf of the Outreach Team, many blessings to you. The Last Word We all believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that there is a single and simple spiritual being, whom we call God. Eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, unchangeable, infinite, almighty; completely wise, just, and good, and the overflowing source of all good. ~ Belgic Confession, Article 1 e OUR MISSION AT CRC f To help people experience God s presence, learn (and live!) Christ s ways, and serve others in need.