NHRC Home   | From the Pastor's Pen   | RCA   | Words of Hope

As of December 21, 2008

January 13, 2008	There will be one worship service at 10:00 a.m., which will be followed by a Happy Birthday NHRC Kickoff in Fellowship Hall
January 20, 2008	9:15 and 11:00 a.m. service - Our First 250th Celebration Guest Preacher -  The Rev. Scott D. Brown (Son of NHRC) As part of our 250th celebrations in 2008, we have invited a number of former ministers, as well as sons and daughters of NHRC who have been called to professional ministry, to preach at New Hackensack.  The first of these is The Rev. Scott D. Brown, who grew up in our congregation.  He attended church school beginning as a preschooler, and continued on through high school when he was active with the Klokken Ringers.  Scott was confirmed, married and ordained as a minister at NHRC.  Recently he and wife Kay (Neevel) celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.  They have three children: Jeff (a music teacher in NJ), Zach (a junior at Rutgers) and Julia (a freshman at Rutgers).  Scott served as associate minister at the Colts Neck, NJ Reformed Church from 1994-1999.  In 1999 he was called back to the Colts Neck Church as senior minister.  Scott continues his ministry there today.  He looks forward to preaching "back home" and sharing the Good News with so many who have guided his faith journey, especially his mother and step-father, Shirley and Ray Wagenhorst.
February 9, 2008 (Saturday)	4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - Join us for an historical supper and enjoy the evening with former pastors and an historical actor.  Thomas Jefferson will speak on religious freedoms in the 1700's.  Supper will be $10 per person with a maximum of $35 per family. During the dinner, which starts at 4:00 p.m., Mr. Jefferson will socialize with attendees.  The performance features Steven Edenbo of the American Historical Theatre, Philadelphia, PA.  A student of American History, Edenbo, who is described as having a strong resemblance to Mr. Jefferson, has presented similar programs at Thomas Jefferson University, Temple University, the National Archives of Washington, D.C., the 2000 Republican National Convention, Baltimore Museum of Art, the Free Library of Philadelphia, and the Vice President's Home.  He also appeared in the role in "Washington, D.C., Behind the Veil," a film directed by Richard Dreyfus on the development of the nation's capitol. Click HERE to see pictures from the dinner and "press conference". Click HERE to see an article from 3/27/08 in the Poughkeepsie Journal
March, 2008	Easter celebrations (March 23rd)
April 6, 2008	9:15 and 11:00 a.m. service - Rev. Richard Brihn (Interim 2000-2002) The Third Reformed Church, Raritan, NJ is the Rev. Richard L. Brihn's home church.  He is an alumnus of Rutgers and New Brunswick Theological Seminary.  The first church he served is the Community Church of High Falls, NY.  In 1978, General Synod appointed him to be a New Congregation Developer in Cary, NC.  He then served as founding pastor from 1979-1999. General Synod certified him as a Specialized Interim Minister in 1999.  As a single pastor, he was able to commute monthly to his NC home, while serving as interim at the Fair St. Church, Kingston, NY 1999-2000.  From November 2000 to April 2002, Richard was our Senior Interim Pastor.  He returned to Kingston to be the interim of Old Dutch Church.  The Pompton Plains NJ Church was his last "commuting interimship".  Following his semi-retirement, Richard moved from Cary, NC to the Allentown area of PA.  His recent interimship was in Bushkill, PA while their pastor was on sabbatical. Click HERE to see his reflections in our 250th anniversary blog.
April 27, 2008	10:00 a.m. service - There will be an opening ceremony and dedication for the Circle of Life Garden.  Mary Ann Bahnsen will be involving our young parishioners in the event.
May 18, 2008	9:15 and 11:00 a.m. Worship - Cantate - Trinity Sunday: We will have a Festival of Hymns, featuring 18th Century Dutch music.
June 1, 2008	9:15 and 11:00 a.m. Service / Communion - Rev. James Neevel (Sr. Minister, 1975-2002) .  Jim has served congregations in Clarksville (1959-1966) and North Syracuse (1966-1975) and NHRC from 1975-2000.  After retiring in 2000, he served as Interim Synod Executive for the Regional Synod of Albany.  During this time he bacame licensed as a Specialized Interim Minister.  In that capacity he has served as Interim Senior Minister at First Church in Albany, Associate Minister at First Reformed Church Schenectady, and is presently working as part-time Associate at Christ Community Reformed Church in Clifton Park, where he and Barbara presently live.  They have four grown children and seven grandchildren.
June 4, 2008 (Wednesday)	The 4 RCWM tables will be doing something based upon an historical event or time period from 1758 to the present.  Other tables may take part, as well.
June 22, 2008	10:00 a.m. Service / Graduation Sunday - Rev. Sanjiv Kattekola  (Interim Assoc. Minister, 2001-02) Sanjiv is a Registered Nurse who has worked at St. Michael's Medical Center, Newark, NJ and Bayonne Hospital, Bayonne, NJ.  He was ordained by the Classis of Greater Palisades, Reformed Church in America in September, 1993.  He then served as Minister of Calling at Central Avenue Reformed Church, NJ.  He was our Interim Associate Pastor at New Hackensack Reformed Church during 2003 and 2004.  He then went on to be Interim Pastor and Moderator at Old Bergen Church, Jersey City, NJ.  At present, Sanjiv is a pulpit supply preacher.
June 29, 2008	10:00 a.m. Service - Rev. Gloria McCanna (Associate Minister 1990-98) Rev. Gloria J. McCanna was ordained in April, 1999, in Alton, Iowa and installed at NHRC on Pentecost, 1999.  She served as Associate Pastor, sharing preaching and pastoral leadership with Rev. James A. Neevel, with special focus on adult education and youth ministry.  In 2001 she left to serve as Personnel Director for the RCA in the New York City offices.  After taking a personal sabbatical, Gloria accepted the call to serve at First Reformed Church of Fishkill, where she began her ministry on April Fool's Day, 2005. Gloria is the youngest of eight children, growing up in Michigan along the shores of Lake Huron.  She harbors a breed dog for Guiding Eyes for the Blind and loves  to create things- painting, cooking, gardening, and enjoys life while reading, golfing, dreaming and listening to the birds. Gloria will be accompanied by Toni Houston, First Reformed Church of Fishkill's assistant historian.  Ms. Houston will be displaying a little leather book of sermons that date back to 1795.  The author is believed to be Rev. Nicholas Van Vranken, who preached at Hopewell, First Reformed Church of Fishkill and New Hackensack Reformed Churches.
July 18, 2008 (Friday, 7:30 p.m.)	The King's Brass will perform in our Sanctuary.  This world-renowned group will present hymn classics with a contemporary flare.  Click HERE for more information.
July 27, 2008	10:00 a.m. Service - Rev. David Willerup (Son of NHRC) Click HERE to see his reflections in our 250th anniversary blog.
August 3, 2008	10:00 a.m. Service - Rev. Jeff Neevel (Son of NHRC) Jeff moved to Wappingers Falls when he was ten years old.  He graduated from Roy C. Ketcham High School in 1983, and Hope College in 1987 with a B.A. in Communication.  He then worked as a Videographer/Editor for WTZA-TV in Kingston, NY before entering Western Theological Seminary in 1990.  Jeff received a Master of Divinity in 1994, was ordained at New Hackensack Reformed Church and moved to Alexandria Bay as the Pastor of the Reformed Church of the 1000 Isles until 2006.  He relocated to St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands where he presently resides and works as a partner in a video production company, and a supply pastor at the St. Thomas Reformed Church.  Jeff has been blessed with one amazing son, Andrew, who is soon to be 14 and beginning high school.
August 9, 2008 (Saturday)	An old-fashioned church picnic will be held at Bowdoin Park, Poughkeepsie, NY from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.  A service will also be held at the Ellesdie Chapel. There is a signup sheet in the gathering area for this event, as we must know how many families will be coming.  We have reserved the entire lower section of Bowdoin, including the ball field, so we can handle a lot of people (even those who are not members of NHRC).  We have planned a wonderful variety of family activities, and we will have an inflatable castle, water fun for the kids, and sports and games for all.  Please bring softball equipment, if you wish to play, or a lawn chair to cheer us on!  An old-fashioned popcorn machine will be available throughout the day, and hamburgers, hotdogs, and drinks will be provided.  If you attend, please bring side dishes or salads (names ending in A-L) or desserts (names ending in M-Z).  It should be a fun day!
August 17, 2008	10:00 a.m. service - Rev. William Hill-Alto (Son of NHRC) Bill grew up in the late 1950's and 1960's, attending New Hackensack Reformed Church during elementary school and high school years.  He graduated from Roy C. Ketcham High School in 1968.  He spent a lot of time at the church, as his parents John and Viola Alto, and his family, were the sextons of the church.  He actually lived in a house provided by the church next door to the pastors, first Rev. Verberkmos and then Rev. Babinsky.  These homes were located at that time next to the airport entrance on Rte. 376. Bill graduated from Hope College in 1972 and New Brunswick Theological Seminary in 1975.  For the past 33 years he has served Reformed Church in America congregations in Metuchen, Fair Lawn, and Glen Rock, NJ. and co-pastored Amity Reformed Church in Vischer Ferry, NY.  International experiences during ordained ministry included a mission internship in Taipei, Taiwan; a year-long mission assignment in Cairo, Egypt; and service as a page at a World Council of Churches meeting in Switzerland.  For seven years he pastored Second Union Church of San Juan, an international, interdenominational, English-speaking church in Puerto Rico. Bill is also a certified Special Education Teacher.  He currently teaches and provides case management for 20 students in grades 7-12 with emotional behavioral challenges at Randolph Union High School in Randolph, VT.  While in Vermont, Bill is affiliated with the United Church of Christ providing pulpit supply and interim ministry. Bill considers his growing up in NHRC as the formative years of his spiritual life and call to ministry.  Through creative worship services, an active youth fellowship, Sunday School, teaching third grade Sunday School, singing in children and youth choirs, attending Bible studies led by lay people, unforgettable trips to work with migrant workers in Highland, NY, and numerous acts of caring from members of the congregation, God was active in his life. Bill is the parent of two children, now adults, both residing in Atlanta, GA and is the proud grandparent of one year old Maren.
September 11, 2008 (Thursday)	On Thursday, September 11, 2008, we will have a full 24 hour day of prayer and remembrance.  We will be asking you to sign up for a half hour or more as we pause to remember significant events (such as September 11, 2001), and all of those who have been a part of New Hackensack Reformed Church for 250 years.  A signup sheet is available at our signup table in the Gathering Area.  Questions, call Annie Lou Disbrow at 462-0978.
September 28, 2008	9:15 and 11:00 a.m. Service - Rev. David Jones (Son of NHRC) Rev. David J. Jones has been an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrement in the Reformed Church in America for 21 years.  He has served three congregations:  Neighborhood Reformed Church in New Jersey (3 1/2 years), Reformed Church of Kinnelon in New Jersey (14 1/2 years), and, presently, the Greenbush Reformed Church in East Greenbush, New York.  David is married to Nancy Jones and they have two children - Sean (12) in his first year of Middle School, and Rebekah (18) in her first year at Messiah College in Pennsylvania.  David was a member of New Hackensack Reformed Church from 1970 through his ordination in 1987.  Nancy was also a member of New Hackensack from 1983 through 1987 where she and David met.  One of  David's favorite memories from his days at NHRC is when the combined choirs and bell choirs persented an arrangement written by Betty Garee of "For All The Saints."  At the time, he was a member of the adult choir.
October 18 and 19, 2008 (Saturday and Sunday)	These two days mark the NHRC Anniversary Weekend.  A special service will be held on Sunday featuring music with the Reverend Greg Mast as the keynote speaker.
November 2, 2008	On Sunday, November 2, 2008, we will dedicate our Circle of Life Garden and Labrynth.  There will be one service at 10:00 a.m. (no Sunday School)
November 9, 2008	9:15 and 11:00 a.m. Service / Women in Ministry - Elder Jan Fritzinger (Daughter of NHRC)
December 10, 2008	Play, under the auspices of RCWM, entitled "New Ornaments and Old Times."  7:30 p.m.
December 28, 2008	10:00 a.m. (Single worship service) - Our Celebration Year Wrapup

Page last updated 12/28/2008