Grace Notes January 2017 Vol. 166 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge God, and the Lord will make straight your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be a healing for your flesh and a refreshment for your body. (Proverbs 3:5-8) After all of the hustle and bustle of the holidays, some folks welcome the quiet of January, while others long for the excitement of the season just past. In the Church s liturgical calendar, all of the joys of the Advent and Christmas seasons come to a conclusion with Epiphany, which is on January 6. Then we move into what is known as Ordinary Time, where nothing special seems to happen until we reach Transfiguration Sunday, and then the beginning of Lent on the following Wednesday, which is Ash Wednesday. Otherwise, liturgically speaking, there is nothing special happening in January. Not so for us as a country, nor as a congregation. On January 20, we as a nation will experience again the peaceful transition of power as a new president is sworn into office. Closer to home, we as a congregation will move into a transition in January as we bid Rachael Huntley and her family goodbye, and then begin the search for our third pastor. Friends, transitions can be scary. In the midst of the change, we may question God s plan and wish we could gain wisdom to understand. The Book of Proverbs tells us that to find wisdom, we must first fear (to stand in awe of) the Lord. The writer of Proverbs is speaking to his son and telling him to trust in God. The passage does not tell us how God will direct our paths, but it says to trust in God. Sometimes we run and look for answers to our questions in the Bible that are not there. The Bible was not written to answer all of our questions. In times of transition, the Bible does not tell us exactly what we are to do next. Instead, the Bible tells us about our Savior. The Bible tells us of God s continuing love and grace to all people. The Bible invites us to join God and enter into God s story of redemption. As we move into these transitions, may we trust in the Lord with all our heart, not relying simply upon our own insight. May we be in prayer for our country and our congregation, asking that God s Spirit might be moving in us, and through us, even as we seek to be a part of God s story of redemption. I close with a prayer that is in our Book of Common Prayer. It was written by the 28 th President of the United States, Woodrow Wilson, who was a Presbyterian. Almighty God, ruler of all the peoples of the earth, forgive, we pray, our shortcomings as a nation; purify our hearts to see and love truth; give wisdom to our counselors and steadfastness to our people; and bring us at last to the fair city of peace, whose foundations are mercy, justice, and goodwill, and whose builder and maker you are; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. SAVE THE DATE... The Imagine Initiative celebrates one year! Sunday, February 12 Page 2: Page 3: Pages 4-5: Page 6: Page 7: Page 8: Page 9: What s Inside? Adult Education, Coming Home Stephen Ministry, Stop Hunger Now, Christmas Elves, Concert Series Christmas Pageant Christian Education, Gingerbread House Party, Youth Carolers Women s Association, Communion Workshop Weekends in January, Bible Study January Calendar Page 10: Rye Presbyterian Nursery School RYE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 882 BOSTON POST ROAD RYE NY 10580 / 914-967-0842 / WWW.RYEPC.COM
(2) Adult Education, Coming Home SUNDAY MORNING OFFERINGS 9:00-9:45 A.M., WESTMINSTER ROOM (No classes January 1 or January 15 MLK Weekend) Click here for Winter/Spring Brochure Michael Corcoran Rye Police Commissioner Sunday, January 8 Join us as we welcome Michael Corcoran, Rye s new Police Commissioner. He will share with us his vision for how the Police Department works within the community. Q&A to follow. Progressive Realignment Sundays, January 22 and 29 This two-week course is for people who are stuck between career and the next phase of life, or would like to begin planning for this eventuality. It is a series of thinking tools that will give people fresh insight into their own vision for the third half of their lives. This course will be led by our own Campbell Gerrish. Mr. Gerrish, a recognized leader in the insurance industry, co-founded Winged Keel Group, one of the leading independent life insurance brokerage firms in the U.S. He dedicates significant time to mentoring future leaders. He is a 1973 graduate of Princeton University. Coming Home Program Is Coming Back! There are many ways to be engaged in our Coming Home program, which is an 18 week life skills program for returning citizens (formerly incarcerated). You can serve as a mentor to one of the program participants. There are other ways to engage that are equally as important to the program s success. The cornerstone of the Coming Home program is a shared meal provided weekly on Thursday evenings. Participants in the Coming Home program have often told us that this is the first time in their lives that they have experienced a sense of community, belonging, and acceptance. Please consider joining us for our first dinner on Thursday, February 2, at 6:00 p.m. Please also consider providing a meal for the Coming Home program. Since we encourage congregants to join in the dinner, we expect to have approximately 25-30 people in attendance. You might want to partner with a friend or group to provide a meal. Of course, providing a meal also includes the wonderful experience of joining us for supper, and assistance in clean up! Linda Otness (otness.linda@gmail.com) is our dinner coordinator. Perhaps you have a special talent or area of expertise that might be useful to our participants. We are looking for volunteers with experience in the areas of job readiness (resume writing, interview skills, etc.), basic financial self-sufficiency skills (creating a budget, choosing the best credit card option, opening a checking/savings account, etc.), clinical expertise in recovery from trauma, building healthy relationships. We work with our participants to bring them a well-rounded life skills program and are looking forward to drawing from the vast experience and knowledge of our congregation! For more information or to volunteer, please contact our Program Coordinator, Janet Donat (donatjanet@yahoo.com) or at (914) 645-8822. All three RPC Choirs Christmas Carolers at RPC
(3) Stephen Ministry, Stop Hunger Now, Christmas Elves, Concert Series Walk with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Could it be possible that Paul s prod within his letter to the Ephesians was an attempt at encouraging a New Year s resolution for the community? January seems to be a natural time to reflect upon what we learned in the previous year as well as set our sights on ways to learn new things. Over the last thirteen years, Rye Presbyterian Church has joined Stephen Ministries in equipping men and women willing to learn more about bearing with one another in love. Jerralee Ernst, a trained Stephen Minister, is the twenty-eighth Rye Presbyterian Church member to attend the Stephen Series Leader s Training Course (LTC), an engaging week of learning, discovery, worship, relationship building, and catching a vision for all that Stephen Ministry can be for our congregation. Please join us in praying for her as she travels to Orlando, Florida and returns with new ideas to help maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. DAY OF SERVICE AT RPC January 22 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. (A light lunch will be served.) This program will be returning to RPC on Sunday, January 22. Stop Hunger Now is an international hunger relief agency. Everyone is encouraged to participate in this meal packaging event; an immensely fun, hands-on, and rewarding experience. A group of 40-50 volunteers can package 10,000 meals in just two hours! These meal packages are then shipped around the world to support school feeding programs and crisis relief. Please contact Rachael Huntley at rhuntley@ryepc.com if you are interested in volunteering for this event. Thank you to our 2016 Christmas Elves for The Greening of the Kirk... Concerts 2017 Celebrate! The Jackson Memorial Organ & The Peter B. Knock Scholarship Friday, March 17, 7:30 p.m. Caroline Robinson and David von Behren, the winners of the 2016 Peter B. Knock scholarships for the study of sacred music, will perform on the recently-upgraded Jackson Memorial Organ (dedicated in 1982). Freewill donations received will go to the Knock Memorial Fund as it fosters a new Internship in Sacred Music at RPC. Daya Carunia, Philip Cicchiello, Kristen Doran, Kristin Jautz, Lisa Keegan, Pam and Roger Moyer, Dee O Brien, Katherine Olsen, Stefan Radtke, Allison Sellon, Ron Sizemore, Sarah Snell, Birgit Townley, Elizabeth Zahm and, of course, a very special thank-you to Juan Velasquez and Alonso Osorio! Cantus Friday, April 21, 7:30 p.m. Cantus, the highly-acclaimed nine-voice men s professional choral ensemble, will present a concert, No Greater Love Than This, which explores the life of a soldier. Admission: premium seating (limited to 50) at $20 each; general seating at $10 each. This season s concerts are made possible in part by the Imagine Initiative of Rye Presbyterian Church.
(4)
(6) Sunday School We will be focusing on Matthew s gospel during the month of January: paving the way for February, when we will have a four-week session covering the Sermon on the Mount. On January 15, there will be no Sunday School; children will be welcome in the Westminster Room for Enrichment activities. On January 22, the children will join Lisa Rawson for Singing Our Faith. The January Family Fellowship is the return of the Stop Hunger Now program on Sunday, January 22, from 11:30 a.m.- 1:30 p.m. Please join us for some fun meal packaging! Christian Education Middle School Connection RPC s Middle School Youth Group, is open to all 6 th 8 th graders. Regular Meetings January 4 and 18, 5:30-6:45 p.m. at RPC Confirmation 2017 Sunday, January 8, 4:00 p.m. (A-L) and 5:00 p.m. (M-Z) Westminster Room Sunday, January 22, 4:00 p.m. (M-Z) and 5:00 p.m. (A-L) Westminster Room Sunday, January 29, 4:00 p.m. (A-L) and 5:00 p.m. (M-Z) Westminster Room High School Youth Group Happy New Year! All 9 th 12 th graders are welcome at RPC s High School Youth Group! \ Sunday, January 8, 6:00-7:15 p.m.: Dinner & Fellowship, RPC Youth Rooms Saturday, January 14, 10:00 a.m.-noon: Community Service at The Sharing Shelf Sunday, January 22, 6:00 p.m.-7:15 p.m.: Dinner & planning session for Bingo Fundraiser, RPC Youth Rooms Contact Rachael Huntley with any questions: rhuntley@ryepc.com. Gingerbread House Party High School Youth Caroling at Nesta d Addario s home
(7) Women s Association, Communion Workshop Monthly Reflection The Thrift Shop Christmas Sale... The Thrift Shop Ladies worked like CRAZY to price Christmas items for the annual Christmas sale held on December 4! Here they are at the pricing party the Saturday before. The number of Christmas boxes they went through was beyond imagination. Women s Association January International Lunch COMMUNION WORKSHOP SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 10:00-11:30 a.m. The body of Christ? What is that all about? And what exactly is in that cup?? If your child or children have been curious about the Lord s Supper, this is a great opportunity for children to learn more about it, to be officially welcomed at the communion celebration of the church, and for you to grow in your faith together. On Saturday, February 4, from 10:00 11:30 a.m., children in the second through fifth grades are welcome to come with a parent to this special workshop. Together we will explore the meaning of the sacrament and how we celebrate it here at Rye Presbyterian. Space is limited, so please sign up by contacting Rev. Love dlove@ryepc.com. Thursday, January 19, 12:30 p.m. Go EAST, Young (and Youthful) Ladies! We re taking a trip to the Far East, but we only have to go as far as Harrison! Hajime it means original in Japanese. Great sushi, to judge from the reviews. Break out of the ordinary and brighten up your winter day when you join with other interesting RPC women and friends. ALL are welcome! This is an AD HOC get-together not a group of regulars who all know each other! Different people come every time, so it s a great way to get to know some other RPC-ers in a fun, casual setting. Feel free to bring a friend.! RSVP: Email Cindy Kuster, or call (914) 282-1956 Hajime, 267 Halstead Ave., Harrison Tel: 914-777-1543
(8) Weekends in January, Bible Study Sunday, January 1 Note: No 8:30 a.m. service this day 10:00 a.m. Morning Worship & Communion in the Chapel No Sunday School No childcare today Saturday, January 7 5:00 p.m. Evening Worship & Communion in the Chapel Sunday, January 8 8:30 a.m. Holy Communion in the Chapel 8:40 a.m. Prayer Gathering / Library 9:00 a.m. Adult Education / Westminster Room 10:00 a.m. Morning Worship in the Sanctuary Sunday School 4:00 p.m. Confirmation Class (A-L) / Westminster Room 5:00 p.m. Confirmation Class (M-Z) / Westminster Room 8:00 p.m. Men s Bible Study / Library Saturday, January 14 5:00 p.m. Evening Worship & Communion in the Chapel Sunday, January 15 8:30 a.m. Holy Communion in the Chapel 8:40 a.m. Prayer Gathering / Library 10:00 a.m. Morning Worship in the Sanctuary Sunday School -Children attend worship through children s message. Saturday, January 21 5:00 p.m. Evening Worship & Communion in the Chapel Sunday, January 22 8:30 a.m. Holy Communion in the Chapel 8:40 a.m. Prayer Gathering / Library 9:00 a.m. Adult Education / Westminster Room 10:00 a.m. Morning Worship in the Sanctuary Stephen Ministry Commissioning Children s Choir sings Sunday School -Children attend worship through children s message. 10:30 a.m. Stop Hunger Now / Assembly Room 4:00 p.m. Confirmation Class (M-Z) / Westminster Room 5:00 p.m. Confirmation Class (A-L) / Westminster Room 8:00 p.m. Men s Bible Study / Library Saturday, January 28 5:00 p.m. Evening Worship & Communion in the Chapel Sunday, January 29 8:30 a.m. Holy Communion in the Chapel 8:40 a.m. Prayer Gathering / Library 9:00 a.m. Adult Education / Westminster Room 10:00 a.m. Morning Worship in the Sanctuary Ordination & Installation of Officers Youth Choir sings Sunday School -Children attend worship through children s message. 4:00 p.m. Confirmation Class (A-L) / Westminster Room 5:00 p.m. Confirmation Class (M-Z) / Westminster Room 8:00 p.m. Men s Bible Study / Library ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING Sunday, February 5, following 10:00 a.m. worship Bible Studies Men s Bible Study Sundays. January 8 and 22, at 8:00 p.m. in the Library This month, the men of Sunday evenings will be wrapping up their work with the Wisdom of Solomon and moving on to new green pastures. As we begin a new year and a new book, if you d like to join in and be a part of this ongoing fellowship and conversation, plan to gather on Sunday evenings, January 8 and 22, at 8:00 p.m. in the church library. Contact Dan Love if you d like to be on email reminder list. Wednesday Morning Bible Study Wednesdays, January 4 and 18, at 10:00 a.m. in the Library Our tour of the greatest hits of the Old Testament continues! All are welcome to join in this ongoing reading and discussion. No homework no prior bible knowledge needed! Contact Dan Love if you d like to be on email reminder list. Women s Bible Study Saturdays, January 7 and 21 Please join the Women s Bible Study twice monthly on Saturday mornings at 10:00 a.m. in the RPC Library. A warm welcome and hot coffee await! For further information, contact Cynthia De Santis. FAREWELL TO RACHAEL HUNTLEY Sunday, January 29, at coffee hour STEPHEN MINISTRY COMMISSIONING Sunday, January 22, during 10:00 a.m. worship ORDINATION AND INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS Sunday, January 29, during 10:00 a.m. worship NEW OFFICER ORIENTATION Saturday, January 7, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Westminster Room RPC OFFICER RETREAT Saturday, January 7, 12:00 noon-3:00 p.m. Westminster Room
January Schedule of Meetings, Events, and Programs (9) CHURCH OFFICES AND BUILDINGS CLOSED MONDAY, JANUARY 2, IN OBSERVANCE OF THE NEW YEAR S DAY HOLIDAY, AND MONDAY, JANUARY 16, MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY BOARD MEETINGS Deacons: Wednesday, January 18, 7:30 p.m., Library Trustees: Wednesday, January 18, 7:30 p.m., Westminster Room Session: Wednesday, January 25, 7:30 p.m., Westminster Room WORSHIP AND STUDY Worship on Saturday evening: Saturdays, 5:00 p.m., January 7, 14, 21, & 28 Worship on Sunday: 8:30 a.m. Holy Communion in the Chapel 10:00 a.m. Worship in the Sanctuary; January 1 in the Chapel Prayer Gatherings: Sundays in the Library at 8:40 a.m. Adult Education: Sundays, 9:00-9:45 a.m., Westminster Room: Michael Corcoran, Rye Police Commissioner: January 8 Progressive Realignment: January 22 & 29 Sunday School: Regular Sunday School on January 8, 22, & 29 January 1: Family Worship (Note: no childcare available) January 15: Enrichment activities, Westminster Room Confirmation: Sundays, Westminster Room, January 8 (A-L at 4:00 p.m., M-Z at 5 p.m.); January 22 (M-Z at 4:00 p.m., A-L at 5 p.m.); & January 29 (A-L at 4:00 p.m., M-Z at 5 p.m.) Men s Sunday Bible Study: January 8 & 22, 8:00 p.m., Library Wednesday Morning Bible Study: January 4 & 18, 10:00 a.m., Library Women s Bible Study: Saturdays, 10:00 a.m., January 7 & 21, Library Women s Discipleship: Tuesdays, 1:00-2:30 p.m., Library. YOUTH Boy Scout Troop #2: Every Tuesday, 7:00 p.m., Assembly Room Connection: Wednesdays, January 4 & 18, 5:30 p.m., Youth Rooms High School Youth Group: Sundays, January 8, 14, & 22 / Youth Rooms MUSIC Chancel Choir Rehearsal: Sundays, 9:15 & 11:30 a.m. (No Chancel Choir on January 1.) Children s Choir Rehearsal: Thursdays, 3:45 p.m., Choir Room Youth Choir Rehearsal: Thursdays/Sundays TBD OTHER CHURCH MEETINGS, EVENTS, AND PROGRAMS 3 Ts: Tuesday, January 17, 10:00 a.m., Westminster Room Family Fellowship: Stop Hunger Now, Sunday, January 22, 11:30 a.m, Assembly Room Mission & Outreach: Wednesday, January 11, 7:30 p.m., Library RPC Officer Orientation: Saturday, January 7, 9:00 a.m., Westminster Room RPC Officer Retreat: Saturday, January 7, 12:00 p.m., Westminster Room Stephen Ministry: Stephen Leaders: Tuesday, January 3, 5:30 p.m., Library Continuing Education and Supervision: Tuesday, January 3, 7:00 p.m., Library Thrift Shop: Thursdays, 10:00 a.m.-l:00 p.m. Women s Association: International Lunch, Hajime, Harrison, Thursday, January 19, 12:30 p.m. Worship & Music: Wednesday, January 11, 7:30 p.m., Conference Room OUTREACH AND SUPPORT GROUPS AA Rye Harrison Group: Mondays, 7:30 p.m., Assembly Room AA Group: Thursdays, 7:30 p.m., Westminster Room Mr. Westchester/Al-Anon Group: Mondays, 7:30 p.m., Library Sandwichmakers: Thursday, January 19, 10:00 a.m., Kitchen & Assembly Room
(10) Greetings to the RPC Community from Kristin Bassett Kumar Rye Presbyterian Nursery School held its annual Holiday Caroling Party on Saturday, December 3. The event is funded by sponsorships and all proceeds go towards tuition scholarships for the upcoming school year. Over 50 parents and staff volunteered to organize and run the event. The festivities for the party included a sing-along with children s musicians from Songs for Seeds, caroling lead by The Rye High School A cappella Rye Presbyterian Nursery School Group, an outdoor petting zoo and a horse-drawn hay ride. Our studio teacher, Gail Walter, organized a fun art project for the children. The children were able to create their own snow globes with watercolor paint and salt. After painting a scene on their paper, they sprinkled salt on the wet paint to create the texture and sparkle of snow. In addition, families enjoyed buying delicious homemade treats from the bake sale and getting their photo taken with Santa. Beautiful themed baskets for children were given away in our annual raffle. During the week before the party, the students in each classroom made an ornament to adorn the Christmas tree in the Church assembly room. The Rev. Daniel Love, Co-Pastor The Rev. Dr. John Miller, Co-Pastor The Rev. Rachael Huntley, Minister of Christian Education Jason Charneski, Director of Music and Organist Lisa Rawson, Director of Choirs for Children and Youth Maida Robinson, Chief Administrative Officer Rosemary Annunziato, Church Secretary Denise LeVan, Pastoral Assistant Juan Velasquez, Head Sexton/Building Manager Rye Presbyterian Church 882 Boston Post Road Rye, New York 10580 Tel: 914.967.0842 www.ryepc.com We are a Stephen Ministry church.