1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity

APRIL 2015
News Bits
First Presbyterian Church of Blairstown, New Jersey
BTOGETHER
ound
Pa s tor ’s M e s s a g e
The older I become the more
I enjoy family gatherings,
reunions with family and
friends. Back in March, when
my son Dan and I were invited to spend a few days in
Colorado attending a sibling
reunion with Ed, my older
brother, his daughters (Sarah
and Katie), Mike, my younger brother, and Mike’s three
children (Steve, Michaela and
Lindsay), we jumped at the
opportunity. Okay, some of
our sibling hobnobbing was
spent on the slopes skiing,
stroking each other’s egos
with our skiing abilities (or
inabilities). But whether on
the slopes or in the sauna, we
spent our time laughing, talking, recalling and attempting
to recall the people and
places of our childhood who
had left an imprint on our
lives. We even talked about
folks from church who had
left their mark. In addition, I
had occasion to visit a friend
from high school and college;
so, yes, the week was meaningful, memorable, and marvelously fun!
Reunions, I’ve discovered, are
not just for family and
friends. Indeed, when Christians gather each week it is a
mini reunion of sorts, a time
to bless God and to remember the multiple ways God
blesses us.
During Holy Week, Christians
gather to recall and to retell
the stories that form our
Christian identity and community. The biblical narrative
begins with Jesus’ triumphant
entry into Jerusalem (Palm
Sunday); the Holy Meal he
instituted and shared with his
disciples, the foot washing he
performed on their feet
(Maundy Thursday); his arrest,
trial, execution, burial, and
the Roman soldier’s response
to the events of that fateful
Friday – that Jesus truly was
the Son of God (Good Friday). During our Holy Week
reunion, we individually and
communally retell God’s saving acts through which God
chose not to react but to
freely enact grace and
goodness, love and life, most
poignantly and victoriously
by raising Jesus from the
grave (Resurrection or Easter
Sunday).
Like any reunion, there is
always drama, and for Christians, Holy Week is as dramatic as it comes. With Palm
Sunday’s praise, the humility
of Jesus on Maundy Thursday, his pain and suffering
on Good Friday, each movement teaches that the cross it
is not a mop-up exercise by
God in response to our human sinfulness; but the proactive work of God who is God
supremely, freely and totally
desires to live in relationship
and fellowship with us, those
whom God loves. Holy Week
in other words, did not
change God’s mind about
our sinful humanity, but rather
it is God’s invitation for us to
consider and contemplate the
magnitude of God’s love of
us.
So, while you are making
Easter plans, I hope included
among them will be to attend
and participate in God’s
family reunion this Holy
Week. After all, Holy Week
isn’t just a series of worship
services for spiritual siblings.
It is to be sure, a reunion observed by the church to remember and to retell the joy
of being God’s children, both
in this life and in the ‘Great
Reunion’ in the world to
come.
See you in worship.
Pastor David
by Faith
Inside this issue:
Session News
2
Stewardship & Finance
2
Presbyterian Women
2
Deacon Notes
3
Worship & Music Ministry
3
Christian Ed Ministry
4
Mission Ministry
5
Other Bits of News
5
Daily Prayer List
7
Birthdays & Anniversaries
7
1
N
ew s B its
S e s s ion New s
Excerpts from the Session
meeting held on March 12,
2015. Session approved the
following requests and recommendations:
1) A request from the Christian Education ministry for
Sunday School children to
participate in One Great
Hour of Sharing and the
shoe drive Soles to Share
as part of mission outreach.
2) A request from Paula
Tepedina and Cheryl
Paulson to use the main
room of the Outreach
Center for Level 2 yoga
training on Saturday and
Sunday September 26
and 27, 2015 and on a
weekend in Spring 2016
and Fall 2016.
3) A request from the Youth
Group to meet on March
28 or 29, 2015 to prepare for the Easter candy
sale and Easter Egg Hunt
on Palm Sunday. Session
also approved a tentative
“lock-down” of the Youth
Group at the Outreach
Center on March 28-29.
4) A recommendation from
the Administration Ministry
to set the Honoraria for
weddings at the church to
be as follows: First Presbyterian Church: $200.00
(waived for members),
Pastor: $150.00 (waived
for members), Director of
Music: $200.00, Sexton:
$100.00.
5) A request from Pastor
Harvey to attend the
Board of Pensions, Eastern
Regional Benefits Consultation in Philadelphia, PA
on April 29–30, 2015.
Deb Albrecht,
Clerk of Session
S tew a r ds hip & F i na nce M in is tr y
SHOPWITHSCRIP
SPECIAL
WINDOW FUNDRAISER
A friendly remember that cards
are available for A&P and
ShopRite every Sunday during
Coffee Hour. You may also order
from the many companies that
participate. Now through April 12,
all proceeds from this fundraiser
will go towards our Stained Glass
Windows.
2
As I sat in church on Sunday, I
was thinking about fund raising ideas for the windows.
You all know I do the gift
cards as a fundraiser (thank
you to all who participate),
but I’m looking for additional
income from other sources.
My questions to myself are
how is stewardship connected
to fundraising and how does
our faith connect to money?
First we need to know what it
means to be a steward of a
church. According to Merriam
-Webster, stewardship is the
activity or job of protecting
and being responsible for
something. To me that could
mean that we have a job to
protect/take care of material possessions that God has
given us. But doesn’t our faith
affect that care?
On Sunday, March 22, as I
listened to Stephanie Farley
preach, she talked about
God sightings. I couldn’t help
but remember some of my
own God sightings. A few
years ago, I went to visit my
aunt (Auntie Olie) who was
suffering with Alzheimer’s. I
kept asking my cousin if she
thought her mother would
recognize me. Auntie Olie not
only recognized my sister
and myself, she also joked
around with us as she had
done when she was healthy.
She died shortly after and to
my sister and I, that little
glimpse of Auntie Olie was
God’s gift to us. These God
sightings make a person feel
good, don’t they?
Since windows are always on
my mind, I couldn’t help but
think about how wonderful it
was to get the windows back
in the sanctuary. Remember
how exciting it was to come
Pr e s byte r ia n Wo m e n
The Presbyterian Women
are again offering scholarships to Camp Johnsonburg
for those interested. They
will need a letter from the
campers by April 1. There
are also forms to be filled
out by the parents. These
can be obtained from the
church office.
Our next breakfast meeting
is Saturday, May 9 at 9 AM
in Fellowship Hall.
to church each week and
experience God’s blessing
with each additional pane of
beautiful stained glass?
I also thought about stewardship. Stephanie wanted us to
realize God’s sacrifice for us.
She asked us to consider the
statement, I will decrease so
He will increase. So does that
have anything to do with
windows? I think it does. Consider your faith and how you
live that faith. Now consider
any “God sightings” you may
have had. Realize God’s
sacrifice for us and consider
what we can do as individuals or as church members as
a whole.
I encourage you to share
your sightings and faith as
stewards of God.
Gail Weber, Chair
APRIL 2015
De a con No te s
I pledge my Allegiance as I
start my year as moderator
for the Deacons of our church.
My head is awhirl with new
ideas that our group can use
to accomplish our mission as
Presbyterians. A thought came
to me that we all fly our flag
proudly, but we too often
don’t give it the respect and
dignity that it deserves. I
pledge allegiance to the flag of
the United States of America
“the greatest
country
on
Earth” and to
the Republic for
Which it stands,
“we started as 12 colonies and
have grown to 50 united
states.” One Nation Under God.
The Lord has blessed us and
kept us a free nation. Now in
2015 we have had many ups
and downs, but we are a
proud and resilient people,
and we will prevail. Indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for
all..
Our pride and accomplishments will keep us moving forward. After all, we are Americans—black, white, brown,
yellow. All under the same
kaleidoscope living and working together for this great
country.
So as my first act of duty as
moderator along with our
opening prayer at the start of
meetings we will recite our
“Pledge of Allegiance.” Also
each month a different member will write for our News
Bits Newsletter.
Thank you very much for your
support and confidence as I
take on the role of your moderator.
With God’s Blessing,
Jon Thomas Cramer
Moderator of Deacons
Worship & Music
Holy Week Services
 Please join your fellow
parishioners for a Maundy
Thursday Passover Seder
Meal and Worship on April
2 in Fellowship Hall, with
dinner beginning at 6:30
PM. Please RSVP by contacting Sandy Crisafulli at
sjccopy@comcast.net or
908-637-6592.
 Our congregation will par-
ticipate in a community
Good Friday service hosted at the Walnut Valley
United Methodist Church at
7:30 PM on April 3.
 First Presbyterian Church
will host two Easter services on Sunday, April 5,
including sunrise worship at
7 AM, outdoors at Blair
First Presbyterian Church
1 Main Street, Blairstown, NJ
Sunday, March 29
Palm Sunday, 10:00 AM
Thursday, April 2
Maundy Thursday Passover Seder
Seder Meal & Worship, 6:30 PM
Lake (weather permitting),
as well as a 10 AM service
in the church Sanctuary.
Stained Glass Restoration
Dedication and Celebration
– Kelly & the Perks will join
us once again for a special
service of dedication on Sunday, May 3, to mark the
completion of the window
project. Members of the community will be invited to join
us for this happy event.
175th Anniversary Sunday
concert – The ministry is
planning an afternoon community concert featuring
world-music duo Simple Gifts.
Mark your calendars for Sunday, October 18, and watch
for additional details!
Sandy Crisafulli, Chair
Friday, April 3
Tenebrae Good Friday Service, 7:30 PM
at Walnut Valley United Methodist Church
Sunday, April 5
Easter Sunrise Service, 7:00 AM
at Blair Lake (weather permitting)
Easter Worship, 10:00 AM
(church sanctuary)
May 3
Kelly & the Perks
October 18
Simple Gifts
On Saturday, March 21, our
very busy food pantry served
38 families!
On Tuesday, March 31, our
food pantry was visited by the
1st Grade Class of Blairstown
elementary School who recently hosted a food pantry drive
at their school! This energetic
group, with their teachers and
chaperones, walked over from
the elementary school to deliver and shelve the donations to
our pantry!
Our Food Pantry appreciates
everyone’s generous donations!
B IB L E Q UI Z
As Jacob used a rock for a pillow
— later to become a pillar
honoring God — which of the
following did he experience in a
dream?
A. Angels going up and down on a
ladder between earth and
heaven.
B. The Lord promising that Jacob’s
family would be a blessing to
all nations.
C. God’s assurance: “Know that I
am with you and will keep you
wherever you go.”
D. All of the above.
Answer: (See Genesis 28:10-19)
or go to News Bits page 5.
3
N
ew s B its
Chr is t ia n E d M in is tr y
During March
and April, the
Faith Works
S u n d a y
School class
will be collecting new or
gently used shoes up to size
8 to donate to Dr. Amannda Richline’s (podiatrist in
Belvidere) Soles to Share
shoe drive. She is collecting
shoes to take with her on
her medical mission trip to
Guatemala in June where
they will be distributed to
needy families. Collection
bins are in Fellowship Hall
or children can bring them
to Sunday School.
D:
WANTE
NG
A
E
T CHI
YOUTH
ANTS
ASSIST
Recycle Used
Greeting Cards!
The Faith Works Sunday
School class will take your
used cards, separate the
fronts from the backs, and
send only the fronts of the
cards to St. Jude’s Ranch for
Children to be made into new
cards which are sold to raise
money. St. Jude’s Ranch for
Children provides services to
abused, abandoned, and
neglected children and families in Nevada and Texas. A
basket for cards is on the
communications table in
Fellowship Hall.
Attention kids!
The church office would
like to display your
artwork on our Outreach
Center window by the
sidewalk. Please cut out
and return this G-Force
VBS Easter coloring page
to the church office or
place in the offering plate
at church. We look
forward to brightening
up our window!
4
Aug. 3–7
APRIL 2015
M is s ion M inis tr y
~ Flower Power Mission Fundraiser ~
Joke VanHuisstede, who
resides in Holland, happily
displaying one of our
beautiful prayers shawls,
sent to her by long-time
friend, Lola Szekula.
Gorgeous flowers for your garden as well as
many to cut for indoors! Luscious herbs,
veggies and greens for your meals.
Something for everyone. Check out the
Mission bulletin board while you are having
coffee in Fellowship Hall or see Darlene
Tapie to order. Don’t miss spring planting!
Bible Quiz Answer: D
PRAYER SHAWL
MINISTRY “AT WORK”
O the r B i ts of New s
Congratulations to 'Water Street' on a fabulous performance
at the Bitter End, NYC, Sunday evening, March 29.
Children’s Center Preschool &
Kindergarten has limited
openings for the September
2015 school year.
Please call Marlene Wilburn,
908-362-7887 or email:
mrwilburn@embarqmail.com
to learn more about the Preschool and Kindergarten programs offered.
5
N
6
ew s B its
APRIL 2015
O ur Da ily Pr a ye r L is t
Healing for Friends and
Families with:
Cancer:
Sue Bailey,
Maria Bartalota, Maren
Bell, Pat Belcher, Linda
Caprario, Samantha Elwell, Dr. David, Nancy
Klock, Laura Mack, Caitlyn
McMorrow and her family,
Nathan Orsini, Ann Porrovechio, Andrew Shan,
Robert Talmadge, and
Barbara VanderHart
Illness and Injuries:
Mary Artuso, Oscar Ballestero, Isaiah Barlalotta,
Mary Ann Bausewein, Rob
Blankenhorn, Kyle Canonico, Mary Chalito, Richard
DeChiara, Rev. Dick Gibbons, Don Fennell, Marian
and Graham Floyd, Alan
Galentine and Family,
Christians Abroad: Our sister
church, Mathare North, Nairobi
Kenya and those living in fear
of persecution: Africa, Asia,
and the Middle East
Prayers for America:
Men and Women Serving
in the Armed Forces: Kelly
Ashton Holleran, Jeremy Britton, John Brotzman, Michael
Hudson, Matthew May, Doug
Swift
Economic Hardship: The
unemployed and those struggling financially
2
3
4
5
6
8
14
17
18
19
26
Matthew Hillsdon
Ashley Orcutt
Margaret McLain
Christopher Harvey
April Szekula
Edward Belcher
Angelina Plut
Kylie Kalafut
Sharon Jeges
Ian Schumacher
Monica Salvadore
Jean Zanetti
Tami Chipko
12
19
Ellen & Paul Nagy
Jennifer & Peter Plut
Dana Heidelberger, Deb
Holsten, Marcia Kost,
Ryan Newton, Erika
Ohland, Jay Ohland Jr.,
Bob Schmidt, Kelsey Shingledecker, Mare Tripp,
Joke VanHuisstede, Peggy Walters, Bryan Wilson,
David Wilson, Betty Zenock, Audrey, Kathy Z.,
Monica, and Tracy
Prayers of Condolences:
To the family of Bill Blanton,
brother-in-law of Chris Trigg
To the family of Ernest
Schuckert, cousin of Jean
O’Brien
If you have an address of
someone serving in the
armed forces that might
like to receive card(s),
please forward their mailing address to the church
office so that we may publish it in our News Bits and
bulletin. Card(s) may currently be sent to:
Colonel Douglas Swift
1ECEG
Unit 61239
APO AE 09309
EGG-STRA FACTS
 Although Easter eggs were
once part of pagan spring
festivals, they’ve become
Christian symbols of new
life. A cracked-open shell
also represents Jesus’ empty
tomb on Easter morning.
 The early Christians of
Mesopotamia began staining
eggs red in honor of Jesus’
blood shed on the cross. Red
eggs remain part of Greek
Orthodox celebrations
today.
 For Lent, some families used
to give up eggs and dairy, so
they prepared a pancake feast
on Shrove Tuesday, the day
before Ash Wednesday.
They solved the egg surplus
by hard-boiling them in
various broths, which led to
colored eggs.
 In medieval times, churches
held “egg-throwing”
festivals. The priest threw a
hard-boiled egg toward the
choir boys, who tossed it
back and forth. When the
clock struck 12, whoever
was holding the egg got to
keep it.
 In some European countries,
children go from house to
house to collect Easter eggs.
 Each year, the PAAS Dye
Co. sells more than 10
million egg-coloring kits,
which consumers use to
decorate 180 million eggs.
 The tallest chocolate Easter
egg ever produced weighed
16,000 pounds — more than
an elephant!
7
N
ew s B its
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF
BLAIRSTOWN, NEW JERSEY
Post Office Box 385, 1 Main Street
Blairstown, NJ 07825
Church Office: 35 Main Street
Phone: (908) 362-5254 Fax: (908) 362-8060
Food Pantry: (908) 362-5769
Children’s Center: (908) 362-7887
E-mail: fpcb@ptd.net
Website: fpbcnj.org
BTOGETHER
F
ound
by aith
C ale ndar of E ven ts — Ap ril 2 01 5
CE:
Sun
Christian Ed Suite (35 Main St.)
Mon
Tue
OC: Outreach Center (35 Main St.)
Wed
1
FH:
Fellowship Hall (1 Main St.)
Thu
2
Fri
3
Sat
4
1:30 PM OC-Knitting Group 6:30 PM FH-Seder Meal 7:30 PM Good Friday 9:00 AM OC Girl Scouts
& Service
Service at WVUMC
5
6
7:00 AM Sunrise
Service at Blair Lake
8:30 AM Choir Rehearsal
10:00 AM Family Worship
5:30 PM OC Girl Scouts 7:00 OC-W/CE
8:00 PM OC-AA
1:30 PM OC-Knitting Group
12
13
15
8:30 AM Choir Rehearsal
8:45 AM OC-Youth Group
9:45 AM OC - Faith Works
10:00 AM Worship
11:15 AM FH-Deacon Meeting
8:00 PM OC-AA
19
20
8:30 AM Choir Rehearsal
9:45 AM OC - Faith Works
10:00 AM Worship
May News Bits
articles due!
5:30 PM OC Girl Scouts
8:00 PM OC-AA
26
27
88:30 AM Choir Rehearsal
9:45 AM OC - Faith Works
10:00 AM Worship
8:00 PM OC-AA
7
14
8
9
10
11
16
17
18
1:30 PM OC-Knitting Group
21
22
7:00 OC-Session
23
1:30 PM OC-Knitting Group
28
29
1:30 PM OC-Knitting Group
9:00 AM FH Annual
Review of Session
Minutes
9:30 AM OC Food Pantry
24
25
9:00 AM OC Girl Scouts
30