This past Sunday, The Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of New
Hackensack celebrated our 250th anniversary.
We did so with great pomp and circumstance. At our morning
service, my message reminded us that the church is
always on the move - changing and growing with the times. I also
shared that, as a church family, it is our
obligation to support one another through the challenges of this
life. At the end of the service, we all had the
pleasure of watching Elder Harold Oakhill pack all the items into our
anniversary time capsule. We then recessed
to our new "Circle of Life Garden" to place the time capsule in the
ground, to be opened in 50 years.
During our Anniversary worship service held that same afternoon, we had
a glorious celebration of praise filled
with beautiful choral, instrumental and handbell music, and with a very
special sermon entitled, "Cairns of Hope"
by the Rev. Gregg Mast, President of New Brunswick Theological
Seminary. We also unveiled a new gravestone
for our first pastor, Rev. Izaak Rysdyk. One of the highlights
for me was to hear 29 people read off the names of
all our previous ministers, culminating with the current names of the
Rev. Dr. Marie Sheldon and myself. What an
honor and a privilege to be serving God during this present time and in
this special place.
We now look ahead to November which also is filled with many wonderful
opportunities to celebrate our 250th
anniversary. First, please note taht we have one service on
November 2nd (10:00 a.m.). At this service, the
church family is invited to join us in the Lord's Supper, as we bestow
the honor of Pastor Emeritus on our previous
senior minister, The Rev. James Neevel. At the conclusion of the
service, we will gather for our dedication of the
"Circle of Life Garden," which is now complete. The day concludes
with an invitation from the Tamlyn family to
join us in the parsonage for refreshment and fellowship.
Please note our worship schedule for November, as we have special
highlights throughout the month.
Worship at 10:00
a.m. November 2
Worship at 9:15 and 11:00 a.m. November 9, 16, 23, and 30
2
Communion / Al l Saints Sunday
One Service - 10:00
a.m. Communion
Theme: Honoring the Past
Pastor Emeritus title: Rev. James A.
Neevel Preacher: Rev. Tamlyn
Dedication of "Circle of Life Garden" followed
by coffee at parsonage
9 Theme: Honoring the
Present
Guest Preacher: Jan Fritzinger
16 Consecration Sunday
Theme: Honoring the Future
Guest Preacher: Elder and President of
Mid-Hudson Classis, Mary Linge
23 Thanksgiving Sunday
Theme: Honoring the Past, Present, and Future
Preacher: Rev. Tamlyn
30 First Sunday of Advent
Theme: "No Stable Too Small"
Isaiah 64: 1-9 "Yearning for the
Stable" Preacher: Rev. Dr. Sheldon
The Psalmist writes: "Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the
Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the
upright, in the congregation." (Psalm 111) November is the month
we traditionally think about giving thanks-
even though it should be a daily prayer habit. God really does
enjoy hearing from us!
This year, the Wappingers churches will once again offer an ecumenical
Thanksgiving service on Tuesday,
November 25 at 7:00 p.m. at the United Methodist Church of
Wappingers. It's always a joy to gather with
other Christians to bring praise and thanksgiving to our Creator.
If you are able to worship with us that evening, please bring a pie to
share for a time of fellowship after the
service. The extras will go to provide Thanksgiving desserts for
Meals on Wheels.
Mary Lou Grott, R.N., 462-0810, Ext 105, Tues., Wed., Thurs.
Living With Loss During the Holidays
Living with loss while others are celebrating can be so very difficult
for any of us. There are no easy answers
or pat solutions to ease the pain of sorrow and grief as the busy world
continues on with all is usual holiday
happenings. As we head into this special season, I wanted to once
again take some time to reflect on how
we can be more "present" and compassionate to those who are
grieving. We can let them know we remember
their loss and care about them through a call or note or
invitation. We can listen to them, allow them to speak
honestly about their feelings, and encourage them to take extra-good
care of themselves, especially during these
next few weeks. It's important for all of us to remember that 90%
of caring is just showing up, just being there.
One way for those of you who are grieving to care for yourselves may be
to join us for our Seventh
Annual Remembrance
Service on Saturday, December 13th at 10 am in our Sanctuary.
This is a very special
time of worship, when we will share Christ's light and hope as we
gather ogether in memory of our loved ones.
This is a beautiful community service of uplifting scripture, prayers,
music, and candle lighting to help bring hope
and strength to each of you in your loife's journey here and now.
Everyone please extend an invitaiton to family,
friends, and neighbors who may benefit from this healing service this
holiday season. If you have any questions,
would like to be a greeter, usher, reader or baker for this
service, or know someone who needs transportation
to attend, please call either Corrie Blasi, Chair of the Wellness
Committee (463-2301) or myself (462-0810
ext 105).
For those of you who are suffering, I know that no book or
reading materials on grief or lists of suggested things
to do can take away the hurt and pain you are feeling. They can,
however, help you better cope with all your
many emotions during this joyful and painful time as you grieve.
There are CareNotes pamphlets on grieving
during the holidays in the Side Narthex near teh Sanctuary for you to
take, and other grief materials to borrow
from the Parish Health Office, including a wonderfully helpful book
entitle, A
Decembered Grief, by Harold
Ivan Smith. In closing, I'd like to share with you the following
list of helpful suggestions from the book, The Journey Through Grief: Reflections on
Healing, by Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D.:
Talk about your grief
Be tolerant of your physical and psychological limits
Eliminate unnecessary stress
Be with supportive, comforting people
Talk about the person who has died
Do what is right for you
Plan ahead for family gatherings
Embrace your treasure of memories
Express your faith
May you each feel God's peace, hope, and love this holiday
season, Mary
Lou
For those interested in a CPR/AED certification class, please call Mary
Lout at the Parish Health Office
(462-0810 ext. 105) for more information.
Parenting Classes for Parents and
Grandparents of All Ages
To continue our Parenting Series program, the Health Ministry is
excited to offer you the fourth part of the
Pro-Active Parenting Series entitled, "Communicating
with your Child or Teen." We are so pleased and
grateful that Mary and Ozzie Mantilla have once again agreed to co-lead
this program the following 2
Sundays at 9:15 a.m.: November 9th and
16th, in Rm 14.
Outreach Celebrates our 250th....In honor of our 250th Birthday
Celebration, the Outreach Council has decided to collect 250 sets of
sheets for Dutchess County Coalition for the Homeless, to help sustain
the sheet supply for their sixty bed homeless shelter in Poughkeepsie.
The sheet sets (consisting of a fitted and flat
sheet as well as a pillowcase):
Must be twin size
Must be NEW
Solid colors only (no prints, please)
We request a thread count of no less than 280
because they will be washed every night.
The collection began in March and will run throughout the year or until
we meet our goal of 250 sets. They will be distributed to the
shelter on a monthly basis throughout the year. To keep the
congregation informed of our progress toward the goal, a paper
thermometer will be placed on the Outreach bulletin board located in
the hall by the kitchen. We hope to reach our goal by this
summer. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact
Joan Heller, Outreach Council Chair, at 896-8733. We thank you in
advance for your support!
An anonymous person has graciously paid for several sets of sheets up
front from a local merchant. As a convenience to our
congregation they can be purchased at a cost of $15.00/set. All
money received will be used to reimburse the donor. Sets
will be sold after services. Any questions, please contact Nancy
Cooper, 463-4778.
Homeless Shelter Meal Program....
NHRC has adopted the fourth Sunday of the month to prepare meals for up
to sixty homeless folks. With the number
of groups at NHRC, the meals can be very easy to prepare. If you
are a member of a choir, music group, council,
committee, small group, Bible study, or youth group, please consider
adopting one of the months and having your
group work together to prepare a meal for the homeless shelter.
To reserve a month or if you have any questions
about the procedures, please contact Arra Mowry at 297-0612 or email at
psalm46amm@optononline.net. Thank
you for your consideration.
Christmas Outreach at Lutheran
Care Center
Some of the residents of the Lutheran Care Center do not have any
family or friends to share the season of the
birth of our Lord. Through the genorosity of the community, these
residents can enjoy gifts this holiday
season, which brings a much needed smile to their faces. The
Outreach Council will once again be taking up
a collection for the center. A drop off box is located in the
Gathering Area. A complete list of items (must be
new) they are requesting can be picked up at the Information Center
desk in the Gathering Area. For any
questions, please contact Arra Mowry at 297-0612.
Veteran's Day Pot Luck Dinner,
Sunday, November 9th, 2008, 5:00 PM in Fellowship Hall. An
interesting
and informative program entitled "Vietnam: The Times & A Call
To Service" will be presented by First
Lieutenant John Jakobsen, Infantry Officer, United States Army, Vietnam
1971-1972. Last names
beginning with A-G please ring a desssert for ten, H-R a main dish for
ten and S-Z a salad for ten. Drinks
will be provided. Bring the family, invite a friend or
neighbor. Please sign up at the information booth. For
details or information, call Al Summers - 845-297-1704.
PROPERY COMMITTEE
Fall Clean up will be on Saturday, November 8th (rain date November
15th) starting at 8:30 a.m. Bring gloves
and rakes so that we can beautify the church grounds.
Refreshments will be served.
REFORMED
CHURCH WOMEN
INVITE ALL MEMBERS and FRIENDS
of the CHURCH TO SHARE
AN EVENING OF MEMORIES 7:30 p.m. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2008
NEW ORNAMENTS AND OLD
TIMES
Come and join us as we begin the Christmas season with two friends, who
look for the spirit of Christmas among
boxes in the attic; but they find that the Church in the past is the
spirit and strength for the future. See the historical
perspective on the life of the Church in time-lapse fashion, then
return to the present with family as they give thanks
and follow Christ into the future.
Because Christmas
is for Giving, our Christmas offering will be divided equally
between the RCA Women's
Ministries Sister
Share program and Meals-on-Wheels
of Wappingers Falls.
Sister Share is an opportunity to save lives and make a difference by
committing to a gift that will go into a fund
specifically created to serve women and children around the
globe. Your gift will:
Give marginalized women in India a place to belong and become
financially self-sufficient
Help women in South India start home-based businesses
Provide pregnancy support services in Welland, Ontario
Feed a hungry child in Nicaragua
Help women heal in Sudan
Following the Christmas Drama, there will be a candleight reception in
Fellowship Hall. Please sign up at the
Information Center and check if you are able to bake a batch of
Christmas cookies.
JOY Chrismas Party...
Please mark your calendars for the annual JOY Christmas Party on
Wednesday, December 17,
2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Check the December church news and Sunday
bulletin for more information.
Circle of
Life Garden
November 2 is the day we will dedicate the Circle of Life Garden.
Thanks to the hard work and generosity of so many,
NHRC will have its very own labyrinth as part of the Circle of Life
Garden.
By the time of the dedication, many of the
trees will have been planted and some benches
built and set. The remaining benches and planters will be built
during the winter months and
will be set in the spring time along with any remaining trees, shrubs,
and plants. In the meantime,
the Circle of Life committee continues to also work on the
donation plaques that are to be
hung on the wall.
Remember that the Circle of Life is continual and so is NHRC's Circle
of Life Garden. If you
have someone or something that you would like to celebrate, honor, or
remember at any time,
you can always make a donation. Brochures continue to be in the
Gathering Area or you can
contact any one of our committee members as well as Hazel in the church
office at 462-0810.
We give our thanks to the generosity of all who have shared in their
celebrations, honors, and
remembrances as well as all who have volunteered so much of their time
for construction.
The December Showcase in the Gathering Area will feature all YOUR
photos of THIS year's special events. Please put
them in the marked box in the Gathering Area. Your name sticker on each photo submitted
is a must so that they can be returned in January.
Sue Kimmerle, Christian Education Director, ext. 104
Operation Christmas Child...
will be the Sunday School Advent mission project again this year.
The
students will be receiving a letter, brochure, and prayer card on
October 19th that will contain more information
about the Operation Christmas Child project. All shoeboxes will
be due at church on Sunday, November 23rd.
Please also include $7.00 per box of overseas shipping. Thank you
in advance for helping your child/ren to
pray for the participants in this fulfilling and worthy mission project.
The Annual Christmas Pageant....
will be presented at the 9:15 a.m. service on Sunday, December
14th. All
children in the preschool through 6th grade Sunday School classes as
wel las the Celebration Choir will be
performing the Usborne Children's Bible Christmas Pageant. There
will be two rehearsals for this pageant. The
first is for students with character parts, narrators and the
Celebration Choir on Sunday, December 6th from
12:30 - 2:00 p.m. in the sanctuary. The second is for the entire
cast on Saturday, December 13th from
1:00 - 3:00 p.m. for grades 3 to 6 and Celebration Choir and from 2:00
- 3:00 p.m. for preschool through
2nd grade. It would be helpful if one teacher from each class
attends the dress rehearsal and if parents of 2nd
graders and younger would remain for the hour their child is practicing.
Costumes will be handed out at the second or dress rehearsal and should
be given back to your child's teacher
immediately following the pageant on December 14th. We would also
like to have each family bring 1 dozen
cookies to share at coffee hour following the service that
Sunday. Thank you for your support of our Sunday
School program!!
Youth
Bible Study
The weekly Youth Bible Study CIA (Christians in Action) will start up
again this fall! The group will meet
Thursday nights, from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. beginning September 4th at the
Meaney home, 7 Sutton Rd.,
Poughkeepsie. We will start off the year studying the book of
Romans.
All interested Senior High youth are invited to attend. Please
contact Pat Meaney at 462-8171 or
meaney@us.ibm.com for questions or directions.
SUNDAY SCHOOL.... We are
very blessed that nearly all of this past year's Sunday School teachers
will
be returning to teach again this year. We have openings in a few
spots and if you feel God's call on your heart
to offer your time in this fulfilling children's ministry, we are
looking for you! We need two teachers for the
5th/6th grade room and one teacher to round out the Senior High.
If you are interested or have questions about
the level of commitment, please call Sue Kimmerle,
1-914-489-2864.
It's hard to believe, but we are in the final few months of the year,
and that means the Piggy Bank
Bazaar will be here before we know it!! It will be happening on
Saturday, December 6th, at the
Education Center. We will really need YOUR HELP!! PLEASE
VOLUNTEER!! There are
many opportunities there for YOU to make a difference, and help put
some smiles on young faces!
The Bazaar is a place for young humans through the age of 14 to do
their Christmas shopping for
friends and family. None of the gifts is priced over $3.00, and
we have a GREAT selection. Guides
will help the young humans shop, and gift wrapping is free! The
bazaar is open for children from
9:00 a.m. until noon. (Adults can wait in Fellowship Hall, where
the youth will be selling
refreshments and tasty baked goods.) Adults can shop from noon to
1:00 p.m. If the Bazaar should
be cancelled because of heavy snow, it will be held on Sunday, December
7th, from 12:30 p.m.
to 3:00 p.m. (Cancellation information will be on the church
answer machine.) Tell your friends
all about it - there are notices about the BAZAAR in the Gathering Area!
At least 150 human helpers are needed to run the Bazaar. We'll
need MANY people to act as
guides for the children, to wrap gifts, and to be cashiers. We ar
eexpecting more than 400 young
humans!! We'll also need some folks to help at 1:00 with the
cleanup. This usually takes just an
hour or so, and involves trash collecting and sweeping, moving some
tables, and putting the leftover
gifts in storage. Please see the SIGN UP SHEETS in the GATHERING
AREA during NOVEMBER.
We need lots of people to make everything run smoothly.
All of the different gift tables will need workers, too, to set up,
help the young folks with gift
selection, take inventory, and clean up. There are tables for
Children, Women, Men, Pets, Flowers
and Plants, Christmas, and Personalizing. If you are available
the morning of Friday, December
5th, and on the day of the Bazaar, and would like to help at one of the
tables, please call Mrs. Ray
(Carol) at 297-4830, or sign up on the sign up sheets. We also
need some help on Friday
morning to set up tables in the gift wrapping room and Fellowship Hall.
November's Wednesday Morning Workshops will be o nthe 5th, 12th, 19th,
and 26th, at 9:30 a.m.
in Room 15 of the Education Center. All those wonderful gifts
need to be completed before the
Bazaar, and as always, YOU would be MOST WELCOME!!
Please volunteer to help move gifts from storage on Sunday, November
30th at 10:20 a.m. Meet
in room 15. With enough workers, the Big Move will only take
about 20 minutes!!
Pricing day, the Big Day before the Big Day, will be Wednesday,
December 3rd, at 9:00 a.m. in
Rooms 13 and 15. Putting price tags on thousands of gifts will
need LOTS of hands. It would be
WONDERFUL if YOU could help!! This is a GREAT opportunity to be
one of the first people to
see all the goodies. Refreshments will be served, too!!
Mrs. Ray (my human friend who seems to be the ONLY Piggy Bank person
who gets calm at
this time of year) reminds me to ask that you please bring your
completed Take Home Kits to
Room 15 by Wednesday, December 3rd. They can be put in the large
closet, or next to the
blue partition. Also, we'll need lots and LOTS of house plants
for the Bazaar - these are always
very popular. Please bring them to the Education Center on
Friday, December 5th. We could also
use rolls or packages of gift wrapping, gift boxes, Scotch tape,
scissors, tissue paper, bows and
ribbons, pens and pencils, name tags, and large department store
handled bags or brown
grocery bags (which can have the plastic handled bag on the outside.)
I'm going to hop back to my pond now to take advantage of what's left
of running water, before
it all turns to ice. I hope I'll see YOU at the Workshops!!
Thank you for the Campbell Soup labels. Please keep sending
them. We just sent for a
digital camera and a shredder for our office.
Again thank you for your support of the school.
Andy Jefferson
Menaul School
Albuquerque, NM
Dear Friends,
It was truly awesome - the outpouring of sympathy from you on Bill's
death; the cards, the food,
the gus, the kind words, and the donations to the church. What a
tribute to "Uncle Bill" as the
Nursery School children and teachers called him! We thank you all
so much for your kindness.
Margie and Janet Shimmin
ENJOY A FREE DIGITAL ISSUE OF THE
CHURCH HERALD!!!
The Church Herald, the magazine serving members of the Reformed Church
in America, is
available in a digital format. To enjoy a free digital issue,
send your e-mail address to the
Church Herald at herald@rca.org and we'll supply each e-mail address
with a unique link to
our next issue. This offer is available to all members of the
Reformed Church.
For more details, see the flyers at our Information Center.
2,
Sunday Communion / All Saints Sunday
8:00 a.m. Adult Sunday School
10:00 a.m. Worship
Children's Place
Dedication of Circle of Life Garden
12:30 p.m. RCWM Play Rehearsal
3, Monday
4:45 p.m. Strength and Balance Exercise
6:00 p.m. Klokken I
RCWM Play Rehearsal
8:00 p.m. Campanola Ringers
4, Tuesday
10:30 a.m. Strength and Balance Exercise
11:45 a.m. JOY Committee Meeting
7:00 p.m. Councils / Committees
5, Wednesday
6:45 a.m. Men's Christ_Care
9:30 a.m. Piggy Bank Workshop
10:30 a.m. Post Modernism Study
6:00 p.m. RCWM Play Rehearsal
7:00 p.m. Stephen Ministry Class
Stephen Ministry Supervision
Boy Scout Troop 56
6, Thursday
9:30 a.m. Bible Study at the Hoyt's
4:45 p.m. Strength and Balance Exercise
7:00 p.m. CIA Youth Study at Meaney's
7:15 p.m. Senior Choir
7, Friday
10:30 a.m. Strength and Balance Exercise 8, Saturday
8:00 a.m. Fall Cleanup
9, Sunday Women in
Ministry
8:00 a.m. Adult Sunday School
9:15 a.m. Worship, Sunday School
Jr. and Sr. High
Parenting Classes
10:30 a.m. Cherub Choir
Celebration Choir
11:00 a.m. Worship
12:30 p.m. RCWM Play Rehearsal
5:00 p.m. Veterans' Potluck
10, Monday
4:45
p.m. Strength and Balance Exercise
6:00 p.m. RCWM Play Rehearsal
Klokken I
8:00 p.m. Campanola Ringers
11, Tuesday Veterans' Day
10:30 a.m. Strength and Balance Exercise
12, Wednesday
6:45 a.m. Men's Christ_Care
9:30 a.m. Piggy Bank Workshop
6:00 p.m. RCWM Play Rehearsal
7:00
p.m. Stephen Ministry Class
Boy Scout Troop 56
13, Thursday
9:30 a.m. Bible Study at the Hoyt's
4:45 p.m. Strength and Balance Exercise
7:00 p.m CIA Youth Study at Meaney's
7:15 p.m. Senior Choir
14, Friday
10:30 a.m. Strength and
Balance Exercise 3:30 p.m. December
News Deadline
16, Sunday
Consecration Sunday
8:00 a.m. Adult Sunday School
9:15 a.m. Worship/Sunday School
Jr. and Sr. High
Parenting Classes
10:30 a.m. Cherub Choir
Celebration Choir
11:00 a.m. Worship
12:30 p.m. RCWM Play Rehearsal
17, Monday
4:45 p.m. Strength and Balance Exercise
6:00 p.m. Klokken I
RCWM Play Rehearsal
8:00 p.m. Campanola Ringers
19, Wednesday
6:45 a.m. Men's Christ_Care
9:30 a.m. Piggy Bank Workshop
6:00 p.m. RCWM Play Rehearsal
7:00
p.m Stephen Ministry
Stephen Ministry Supervision
Boy Scout Troop 56
7:30 p.m. Nursery School Board
20, Thursday
9:30 a.m. Bible Study at the Hoyt's
10:00 a.m. Wellness Committee
4:45 p.m Strength and Balance Exercise
7:00 p.m. CIA Youth Study at Meaney's
7:15 p.m. Senior Choir
21, Friday 9:30 a.m. Collate
December News
10:30 a.m. Strength and Balance Exercise
23, Sunday Christ
the King / Thanksgiving
8:00 a.m. Adult Sunday School
9:15 a.m. Worship/Sunday School
Jr. and Sr. High
10:00 a.m. Blood Pressure Screening
10:30 a.m. Cherub Choir
Celebration Choir
11:00 a.m. Worship
12:30 p.m. RCWM Play Rehearsal
8:30 p.m. Dutchess Homeless Shelter 24, Monday
4:45 p.m. Strength and Balance Exercise
6:00 p.m. Klokken I
RCWM Play Rehearsal
8:00 p.m. Campanola Ringers
25, Tuesday
10:30 a.m. Stength and Balance Exercise
7:00 p.m. Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service
at Methodist Church of WF 26, Wednesday
6:45 a.m. Men's Christ_Care
9:30 a.m. Piggy Bank Workshop
6:00 p.m. RCWM Play Rehearsal
7:00 p.m. Boy Scout Troop 56
27, Thursday Thanksgiving
Office Closed
28, Friday Office Closed
30, Sunday Advent 1
9:15 a.m. Worship/Sunday School
Jr. and Sr. High
10:30 a.m. Cherub Choir
Celebration Choir
11:00 a.m. Worship
