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1 Newsletter of the South Branch Reformed Church April, 2014 South Branch Reformed Church 870 River Road Hillsborough, NJ Office: (908) Fax: (908) Web: Inside this issue: Fellowship & Church Life 2 Lectionary Readings for April Confirmation News! 3 Preschool Tricky Tray 4 Talent Auction Forms 5 New Graduates? 6 Monthly Calendar 7 3 From the Pastor... On Sunday, March 16th, the group from the RCA visiting Israel walked the Via Dolorosa at 5:30am. The Via Dolorosa is the Way of Sorrows in the Old City of Jerusalem and is believed to be the path that Jesus took while carrying his cross on the way to his crucifixion. Each member of our group was provided with a cross to carry with us as we participated in our own version of the Stations of the Cross. It was a very moving experience as we stopped at marked sections along the path, read Scripture and litanies and ended the walk at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre - tomb of Jesus. At this location, we also remembered Jesus resurrection and sang a hymn together! As a congregation, SBRC will be continuing through the remaining days of the Lenten Season. We will continue to walk with Christ on his way to the crucifixion, we will celebrate the Seder meal together and we will gather to rejoice that he has been raised from the dead! Together we will continue to seek forgiveness for our sin as well as lift our voices together and shout, Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia! Amen! However, this does not mean the end of our walk with Christ, our faith journey doesn t end at Easter, and our ministry is charged to continue to Christ returns! I pray that the rest of the Lenten Season provides you with the opportunity to come to God in personal reflection and penitence and I pray that our Easter celebration will bring joy and comfort to your hearts! In Christ s Service, P.S. - On Friday, April 4th at 7:00pm in the Dining Room, I will be showing pictures from my trip in Israel! All are invited to attend to see the pictures, hear the stories and ask questions. Coffee & juice will be provided, but please bring a snack to share!!

2 PAGE 2 Note from thetreasurer... February 2014 The offering receipts for February were $7,585 (four Sundays-$1,896 ave.). We need $2,139 weekly to insure we make our budget, as written. However, it looks like a couple of costs are going to exceed our budgeted estimates: heating and snow plowing/salting. January was a high heating bill. Now it is snow plowing. Our budget allotted $2,500 for snow plowing and salting. Last month our share of the bill was $1,190(the Preschool pays half). For the month of February our share is $1,785. (And as of this writing we have received our March bill: $5,800/2 = $2,900!!!) All other expenses for February were normal. This winter is decimating our budget as well as the Preschool s. We started the month only $433 in the red and ended the month $4,616 in the red. Not looking good. Covered Dish Seder Service! A couple of years ago, Pastor Steve held a Seder Service on Maundy Thursday instead of our normal Tenebrae Service and it was well attended and received. So, Pastor Steve is planning on holding the Seder Service this year on April 17th at 6:30pm in the Dining Room! As in the past, it will be a Covered Dish dinner and we will hold the Seder Service just before having dessert! A sign-up sheet has been posted on the Church News bulletin board. If you are willing to make some Kharoset, Pastor Steve has left copies of the recipe on the Church News bulletin board next to the sign-up sheet. Please join us for a wonderful night of tradition, fellowship and some great food!! Roast Beef Dinner & Bake Sale Our Roast Beef Dinner & Bake Sale will be held on Saturday, April 26th from 4:30pm to 7:00pm with Tyson Stramaglia presiding over the kitchen. A sign-up sheet has been posted for donations & helpers! Tickets & Take-Outs are available. Call (908) for tickets! Roast Beef Menu Peas & Carrots Mashed Potatoes Cole Slaw Pickled Beets Cottage Cheese Assorted Desserts Coffee, Hot & Iced Tea, Lemonade Adults - $14.00 Children (ages 6-10) - $6.00 Children (age 5 and under) - FREE

3 PAGE 3 Women s Group Our next meeting is Tuesday, April 8th at 7:30pm in the Church Parlor. All women of the church are welcome. If you don t drive and need a ride, please call Betty York, Phyllis Zeban or Jannie Johnson and a ride can be arranged for you! Confirmation News! The Confirmation Class this year consists of seven students and they are: Frederick Neske, Ethan Kletz, Richard Sarles, Samantha Shephard, Victoria Wendover, Alex Norz and Kyle Wengryn. Classes began on the 1st Sunday of October and they have been meeting faithfully on the 1st & 3rd Sundays of the month in the Parlor from 7:00pm to 8:30pm. Also, they have participated in the annual Live Nativity and church dinners throughout the past year. This is a great group of students and it has been quite fun leading them on this faith journey. Each student has been spending time writing his/her Credo. What is a Credo? Briefly stated, it is a personal statement of faith. Once they are completed, all of them will be gathered and bound together. Copies will be available for each of our Elders and a limited supply will be made available to those interested church members. Please keep each of them in your continued prayers as they continue to work on their Credo as well as prepare to become active communicant members of SBRC! Flowers Just a reminder that if you have signed up for flowers in the Sanctuary on a particular Sunday, the cost is $ Make checks out to SBRC with Flowers in the memo section. Lectionary Readings for April April 6th - Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 130; Romans 8:6-11; John 11:1-45 April 13th - Isaiah 50:4-9; Psalm 118:1-2,19-29; Philippians 2:5-11; Matthew 21:1-11 April 17th - Exodus 12:1-14; Psalm 116:1-2,12-19; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-17,31-35 April 18th - Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Psalm 22; Hebrews 10:16-25; John 18:1-19:42 April 20th - Acts 10:34-43; Psalm 118:1-2,14-24; Colossians 3:1-4; John 20:1-8; Matthew 28:1-10 April 27th - Acts 2:14,22-32; Psalm 16; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31 Greeters & Coffee Hour Opportunities to Greet on Sunday and/or host Coffee Hour are still available! Please sign-up and help keep this important fellowship activity going strong! Blanket Sunday!! Mother s Day is May 11th and it is also Blanket Sunday! SBRC has been an active participant in this wonderful mission project. Information about Blanket Sunday will be in upcoming bulletins and in the next Contact. Keep watch for the information. Questions? Please speak with Pastor Steve.

4 PAGE 4 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1 Preschool News... We are so glad Spring is finally here! We have been learning about the weather and how it is different in other places. We learned about the rainforest and the woods and the different animals we can find in each. This year s parent night was An Adventure in Science and we all had so much fun making ice cream, drawing our bodies (inside and out), and making hairy caterpillars. We will be celebrating Easter with an Easter Egg Hunt and learning about why Jesus died and rose from the dead. Spring is always a busy time here at South Branch; it s time to register for the school year and the spring session of Early Beginnings has already started with a full class of 11 children. This year s new 3 day, 3 year old morning class was a huge hit; this session is so popular that next ear s class is already full with a wait list. We are also now registering for Summer Camp, getting baskets ready for the Tricky Tray and lining up consignors for our Spring Consignment Sale. The school year is flying by and we are looking forward to the warmer weather so that we can spend more time outside. If there is anything you would like to find out more about, please feel free to call or the Preschool, at (908) , Preschool@SBRChurch.org. We wish you all a Blessed Easter! CHILDREN S CONSIGNMENT SALE May 2 & May 3 SBRC Preschool is looking for consignors for our Spring Consignment Sale. Looking to do some spring cleaning in your children s closets, playrooms, etc?? We have the perfect opportunity for you to get rid of your gently used baby/children s items while earning some money for yourself and the preschool. We are looking for clothes, toys, games, baby equipment anything to do with children. You drop off your items, and then you can earn 60% of your sales or 70% if you can help with the sale. Please contact the Preschool for more information, Preschool@SBRChurch.org The 9 h Annual South Branch Reformed Church Preschool Tricky Tray Friday, May 16, :00PM 8:00 PM Prize Viewing / Light Refreshments 8:15 PM Winning Tickets Drawn Admission Tickets - $15.00 All admission tickets purchased in advance come with one free sheet of prize tickets, which will be given out at the door. Additional sheets of prize tickets will be on sale that evening. Please contact the Preschool office for tickets or for more information, tickets go on sale April 22 (908) Preschool@SBRChurch.org Fantastic Baskets, Door Prizes, 50/50, Grand Prizes! Sorry, no one under 18 will be admitted.

5 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1 PAGE 5 Back by popular demand! The 2014 Talent Auction will be held on Sunday, April 6 th during Coffee Hour There is no cost to sign up as a potential bidder on the day of the auction. To make this event as successful as possible, we need donations of a variety of different talents. Please consider including your special and unique gifts. Talent/Service Description Please remember to specify any restrictions such as Babysitting for (# of) children for up to (# of) hrs, or Please provide (# of) weeks notice. Estimated Value of Service Requested Minimum Bid Would you be willing to donate your talent twice to 2 high bidders? YES or NO Minimum bid in order to double? Your name Contact phone number ***** Kindly return this form to Emily Windus, Jannie Johnson, or Patti Kletz, or leave it in the church office. Need an idea? Check out previous years auction programs available at coffee hour after worship. Questions? Call Emily at Thank you! All those who plan to stay for coffee hour during the Talent Auction are asked to please bring an treat for the refreshment table to share.

6 PAGE 6 Birthdays and Anniversaries A very Happy Birthday and a blessed year ahead to those who are celebrating a birthday in April: 2 - James Kelly 4 - Samantha Shephard & Walt Wengryn 7 - Amanda Evers & Russ Corleto 9 - Anthony DePace 10 - James Kelly, Jr Jessica Nunn & Tony Stramaglia 12 - Robyn Friedlander 14 - Reece DeRoner 15 - Jacob Davenport & Matthew Nunn 18 - Mikayla Shephard & Kate Sarles 20 - Courtney Wengryn & Aaron Proodian 22 - Cole Marlatt & Michael Shephard 24 - Douglas Sheldon 27 - Richard Sarles III, Irene Foley & Danielle Bowden 29 - Christy Heckman 30 - Catherine Burt Also, congratulations and Happy Anniversary to: 3 - Todd & Gail Davis 9 - Brian & Kimberly Ammerlaan 12 - Gil & Pam Warner 18 - Robert & Dawn McDonnell 20 - Jim & Hedily Wendover New Graduates? Do you know of anyone in our church family who is graduating this spring from grade school, high school, college, graduate school, etc.? If so, please complete the form below and return it to the church office or the information to newsletter@sbrchurch.org. We would like to print our congratulations in the May or June issue of the Contact. graduate(s)(d) from on. Name School, Degree, etc. Date Additional Info. (daughter/son of, etc.): graduate(s)(d) from on. Name School, Degree, etc. Date Additional Info. (daughter/son of, etc.):

7 PAGE 7 April 2014 Information for May s Newsletter is due on April 16th! Leave your information in the Church Office or to the Church at newsletter@sbrchurch.org. Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Choir Rehearsal at Slide Show of Pastor Steve s Israel Trip at 7:00pm in the Dining Room 6 Communion Egg Filling at 7pm in Dining Room Confirmation at 7pm in Parlor 7 8 Women s Group at 9 10 Choir Rehearsal at Easter Egg Hunt at 11:00am 13 Palm Sunday Confirmation at 7pm in Parlor Bible Study at 7pm Consistory at Covered Dish Seder Service at 6:30pm in the Dining Room 20 Easter Dawn Service at 6:30am Easter Service at 10:00am No Confirmation Choir Rehearsal at Roast Beef Dinner 4:30-7:00pm Bible Study at 7pm

8 South Branch Reformed Church 870 River Road Hillsborough, NJ Holy Week at SBRC Palm Sunday: April 13th Worship at 10:00am Maundy Thursday: April 17th To Know God and Make God Known Rev. Stephen Eckert ~ Pastor Mr. John Colaiacovo ~ Music Director Mrs. Erica Lenzo ~ Church Secretary Mrs. Maureen DeMarco ~ Preschool Director Mr. Mark Messineo ~ Sexton Covered Dish Seder Service with Communion at 7:00pm Easter Sunday: April 20th Sunrise Service at 6:30am by the Cemetery Easter Celebration at 10:00am