The Herald. The First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood. A Message from our Interim Pastor:

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1 The First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood 2014 The Herald A Message from our Interim Pastor: Rev. Donna Lepsky, Interim Pastor Dear Friends in Christ, I am delighted to be arriving as your new Interim Pastor, starting January 7, What an exciting year as we journey together to find the pastor that God has in mind for The First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood. Let me briefly introduce myself. Since I grew up here in South Jersey, I felt very comfortable with the session at our very first meeting. It was like talking to a neighbor and I immediately sensed a call to become your interim. I was raised in a Christian home and attended Christian schools in this area. From personal experience, I know this is a great place to live and work with so many opportunities in the community. Going away to college was an adventure for me and I fulfilled my first dream in life, becoming a nurse after graduating from Seton Hall University. As a nurse working in some of the best medical centers in Philadelphia, I was able to reach out to others with the gifts of healing and wholeness as my Christian witness. But then many patients began to ask me spiritual questions. Not surprisingly, it was in the hospital that I began to sense a call into the ministry, although God would have a lot of convincing to do. After about a year of prayer and thoughtful consideration, I found myself at Princeton Seminary on the fast track to become a pastor. Stay tuned for more about that leap of faith during the Sunday morning hour. God has a way of using all the gifts He has given us. In my pastoral ministry, I have served as a church pastor and health care chaplain. I was called as pastor to the First Presbyterian Church in Liberty, New York and served for 8 years. During my pastorate, many innovative ministries were initiated. There were new approaches to children s programs where children couldn t wait to attend Sunday school. A stained glass window was commissioned with full support of the entire church. I enjoy a good challenge and with God s help many of the congregation s dreams for ministry became a reality. As a health care chaplain, my vision for ministry was the Good Shepherd who walks with others through the valley of the shadow. I was privileged to be a light shining in the darkness for so many patients and families. The most inspiring and humbling part of this ministry was listening to the personal stories of God s grace from people of all faith backgrounds. I feel I have been truly blessed in my ministry by the people I have met. In my spare time, I can be found in the garden looking for new ways to 21 East Church Street Blackwood, NJ

2 coax my roses to bloom more abundantly. I have a Shetland sheepdog named Cody who lives at home and makes sure I get my daily walking exercise. I also enjoy landscape photography. My travels have taken me to Scotland, Israel, Western Europe and the Grand Canyon, looking to capture the essence of God s beauty and creativity in nature through pictures. I am fortunate to have a large extended family who live in this Philadelphia area we call home and are supportive of my ministry. Peace and Grace, Pastor Donna Session s Notes Charles Miller, Clerk The Session meets on the second Monday of each month at 7pm. Trustees Notes Ken Stewart, Vice President The trustees meet on the third Monday of each month at 7pm. We meet for Bible at 7pm on Tuesday evenings in the Board Room. We are currently studying the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John. Come join us for a time of study, prayer and fellowship! Deacons Notes Nancy Quigley, Moderator The Deacons meet on the first Tuesday of each month at 7pm. The Board of Deacons would like to thank our VERY generous congregation for your pantry donations and financial support. Without your help, we would not be able to do all we do! A new year is upon us and we have some goodbyes and hellos for the board: Farewell to outgoing Deacons Lynda Hojnowski, Sandy Jones, Andi McKendry and Donna Rapp. We pause to remember our former leader and Moderator, Kathy Hilbert. Welcome to incoming Deacons Grace Abiuso, Alexis Chang, Karen Clifford, Miriam Galasso and Shirley Shreiner. Cemetery Lots are available in Section 4. See Janice Long or call the office for information. 2

3 ShopRite Gift Cards Shop Rite Gift Cards are available for purchase each and every Sunday. Thank you for your support. Herald If you would like to receive an electronic copy, please give Karen Clifford your address. Contributions and suggestions are always appreciated! The deadline for the February newsletter is January 19 th. Thank you. The Church Office is open Monday through Thursday from 9am-12pm. The Office is closed on Fridays. Prayer Concerns Prayer Chain Robin Cifelli, Coordinator Our church believes in the power of prayer. Our prayer chain members are available to receive requests by and telephone at any time. Each prayer request is very important and is passed along the chain promptly. If you re interested in helping with the prayer chain, or if you or someone you know has a prayer request, please contact Robin Cifelli. Please let the church office know of updates to people on the prayer list. Generally, prayer requests stay on the list for 1 month unless word is given to Karen, the secretary, to leave on longer. We believe in the power of prayer! Thanks for your help! Let s be a blessing to those who need to see God s love through us. Men s Bible Calling All Men! The Thursday morning men s group now meets on Thursday morning (hence the name) at 6:30. It may seem early, but it s a great way to start the day, and we are usually done by 7. We re currently studying Matthew. 3

4 GUIDE TO THE CHOIR In most choirs, there are four vocal parts: soprano, alto, tenor and bass. Sometimes these are divided into first and second within each part, prompting endless jokes about first and second basses. There are also various other parts such as baritone, countertenor, contralto, mezzo-soprano, etc. These parts are mostly used by people who are soloists or belong to some super hotshot classical a cappella group (this applies especially to countertenors), or are trying to make excuses for not really fitting into any of the regular voice parts. So we will ignore them for now. Each voice part sings in a different range and each one has a very different personality. You may ask, Why should singing different notes make people act differently? Indeed this is a mysterious question that has not been fully studied, especially since scientists who study musicians tend to be musicians themselves and have all the peculiar complexes that go with being tenors, sopranos or whatever. However, this is beside the point. The fact remains that the four voice parts can be easily distinguished and I will explain how in the next newsletters. STAY TUNED! To God be the Glory, Nancy Q. Minister of Music 30 years of service Important dates (be there or be square): 4/13 Cantata!--tone chimes! 4/20 Easter Sunday tone chimes! 5/11 Annual Mother's Day Musical Extravaganza [W]e acknowledge God s sovereignty over the affairs of man and ask that His will be done and not ours. (IN THEIR HEARTS HUMANS PLAN THEIR COURSE, BUT THE LORD ESTABLISHES THEIR STEPS.) If you see coupons you don t need for cat food, litter, etc. and laundry detergent and bleach, please clip them and give them to Karen Clifford. Thank you for all your help ~ it makes a big difference! 4

5 January 6, 2014 is the Deadline for all Annual Reports ~ get yours in early and win a prize. Well, maybe not a prize, but the appreciation of the church secretary! Come out on January 12th for our Interim Pastor s first Sunday with us and help give her a big Blackwood Presbyterian welcome! Rev. Donna Lepsky will lead us as we begin the pastoral search process ~ let s let her know we re glad she s here. This is an exciting time in the life of our church! After worship on January 19th, a Coffee Hour will be hosted by the Session and congregation members A-M. The WoWs (Women Of the Word) meet on the first and third Saturdays of each month from 10am to 12Noon at the church. All church ladies are welcome! While our list includes many items requested by our Military fighting for our freedom and the residents of our local Women s Shelter, this month we are focusing on UM- BRELLAS. The next time you use one, thank God for it and the shelter it provides you, and think about those who don t have something as basic as an UMBRELLA and donate an UMBRELLA if you can. Thank you! 5

6 If Only I guess I just couldn t tell. If anyone had asked me I would have said, They re doing well! When did the flame start to flicker And the enthusiasm fade away? I guess I just didn t see it. I didn t know what to say. At first it was just occasionally, They didn t miss all the time. A child was sick, or he had to work, I still thought everything was fine. After a while it got more frequent, Their seat was empty more than not. I should have said something then, But that would have put me on the spot. If only I had noticed. If only I had tried. I didn t do a thing to help them. That s the truth, it cannot be denied. Now their seat is always empty. They have left the Lord, I don t know why. And when I think about If only... All I can do is cry. Greg Litmer What concerns me, what lies on my heart, is this: That we in the church papered and programmed articulate and agenda-ed are telling the faith story all wrong, are telling it as though it happened two thousand years ago or it is going to happen as soon as the church budget is raised. We seem to forget that Christ s name is Emmanuel, God with Us, Not just when he sat among us but now when we cannot feel the nailprints in his hands. We Seem to Forget, Ann Weems TIME TO PRAY A pastor asked a little boy if he said his prayers every night. "Yes, sir." the boy replied. "And, do you always say them in the morning, too?" the pastor asked. "No sir," the boy replied. "I ain't scared in the daytime" Why Go To Church? By Warren Mueller Every Sunday many people go to church while others are sleeping or engaged in other weekend activities. Since our weekends are limited, should we spend part of it in church? Let s look at some [more] of the popular reasons for not going first. Excuse: Church is unnecessary since private prayer and Bible study can be done without others. Answer: The Bible says that believers must not keep apart from other believers (Hebrews 10:24-25). It is true that we are influenced and become like the people we associate with. Also, by getting together, common beliefs are affirmed and ways to overcome problems are shared. There are three spiritual pillars to have a strong Christian life: personal prayer, Bible study and fellow believers. To rely on less than all three is like trying to sit on a one or twolegged stool. Three legs are needed for a firm foundation and proper function. 6

7 Don t Mark Your Mistakes On New Year s Day, 1929, Georgia Tech played UCLA in the Rose Bowl. In that game a young man named Roy Riegels recovered a fumble for UCLA. Picking up the loose ball, he lost his sense of direction and ran sixty-five yards toward the wrong goal line. One of his teammates ran him down and tackled him just before he scored for the opposing team. The strange play came in the first half. At half-time the UCLA players filed off the field and into the dressing room. As others sat down on the benches and the floor, Riegels put a blanket around his shoulders, sat down in a corner, and put his face in his hands. A football coach usually has a great deal to say to his team during halftime. That day Coach Price was quiet. When the timekeeper came in and announced that there were three minutes before playing time, Coach Price looked at the team and said, Men, the same team that played the first half will start the second. The players got up and started out, all but Riegels. He didn t budge. The coach looked back and called to him. Riegels didn t move. Coach Price went over to where Riegels sat and said, Roy, didn t you hear me? The same team that played the first half will start the second. Roy Riegels looked up, his cheeks wet with tears. Coach, he said, I can t do it. I ve ruined you. I ve ruined the university s reputation. I ve ruined myself. I can t face that crowd out there. Coach Price reached out, put his hand on Riegels shoulder, and said, Roy, get up and go on back. The game is only half over. Riegels finally did get up. He went onto the field, and the fans saw him play hard and play well. All of us have run a long way in the wrong direction at times. But remember, because of God s mercy, the game is only half over. If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared (Psalm 130:3-4). What if we took our lengthy lists of changes we want to make in the new year and narrowed them down way down? Rather than making a half dozen or more commitments that we re unlikely to keep, how about zeroing in on a single word that captures the essence of what we want to achieve or become? North Carolina pastor Mike Ashcraft encouraged church members to each find one word that points to or describes a characteristic or vision they wanted to achieve in the year ahead. The experiment turned into a movement, with ideas and testimonials available at myoneword.org. What would your one-word resolution be? 7

8 LORD, make 2014 a very happy year for all of us individually here at Blackwood Presbyterian. Not by shielding us from sorrow and pain, but by strengthening us to bear it if it comes. Not by taking hardship from us, but by taking all cowardice and fear from our hearts as we meet hardships. Not by making our paths easy, but by making us sturdy enough to tread any path. Not by granting unbroken sunshine, but by keeping our faces bright even in the shadows. Not by making our lives always pleasant, but by showing us where others and your cause need us most and by making us zealous to be there and to help... We pray also, Lord, You will bless us as a local congregation, Not with great numbers of people who come looking for entertaining activities and services... But with abundant opportunities to teach Your word and do Your work here in this area in all sincerity and truth. Nor do we pray that You will make our name great as a local church, but that through us Your great name will be magnified. Father, make our year a happy one! In Jesus Name, Amen! anticipation is often better than the real thing. Age 46 success is more often the result of hard work than of talent. Age 59 most of the things I worry about never happen. Age 64 when your husband cooks, you should compliment everything he fixes. Age 77 it s very painful to see my negative personality traits alive in my children. Age 39 if you laugh and drink soda at the same time, it will come out your nose. Age 7 8

9 Fill a Jar Need a new tradition to begin the new year? One way to reflect on your blessings as the days and months pass is to fill a Blessing Jar. Simply find a container (ideally with a lid) and place it in a prominent place in your home. Next to it, set slips of paper and writing utensils. Encourage every family member to jot down one thing they re grateful for every day. If you have a large family, you may need one jar for each person. You can also use differentcolored paper slips for each family member. Every week, sit down together and review the many ways that God is present in your lives. 9

10 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 5 9:30 Sunday School 11am Worship Installation & Ordination 12 9:30 Sunday School 11am Worship 19 9:30 Sunday School 11am Worship 12N Coffee Hour (Session, A-M) 26 9:30 Sunday School 11am Worship pm Session 20 7pm Trustees 7pm Deacons 14 7pm Bible pm Bible 7pm Bible 1 2 6:30am Men s Bible 7pm Choir 8 9 6:30am Men s Bible 7pm Choir :30am Men s Bible 7pm Choir :30am Men s Bible 7pm Choir :30am Men s Bible 7pm Choir am WoW am WoW