1. education
2. high school

June 2015
Social Justice Interns Travel to Albany
The Social Just Interns traveled to
AlbanyonMay19thtosupportthe
Farm Worker's Fair Labor
Practices Act. We joined other
supporters of farmworkers rights
inadaydesignedtosharewiththe
legislature the pressing issues of
thebill.Inthemorningwehearda
testimony from a former
farmworker, and then attended a
workshop run by the Youth Arts
Group.Wethenheadedovertothe
legislative of,ice building to meet
with our assemblyman, Thomas J
Abinanti. After initially meeting
with his aide, we shared issues
with him about the unfair
conditions facing farmworkers
withthehopethathewillhelpthe
bill be passed along. We left
hoping that the farmer’s message
got through to the legislature and
thatitwouldin,luencethevotein
thechambers.
Interfaith Food Pantry Needs Donations
Did you know that Pleasantville has an Interfaith Food Pantry at the
MethodistChurchandthattheyarecurrentlyprovidingfoodeveryother
weekto50familiesfromourarea?
This summer we are launching a
brand new program aimed at
children 4 years old to 4th grade
whoareinterestedinlearningnew
skills, making things with others
who share their passions, and
generallybeingawesome.
It’s called, DIY Explorers and will
run every Wednesday during the
summer from 3:30 - 5:30. Each
week, we will learn about a new
skill,orjobchoice,suchasclothing
maker, biologist, or maybe even
traveler.
It’snottoolatetosignup,youcan
come for one week, or sign up for
the whole program! We offer
discounts for families, just talk to
Bryan. For more information, to
see our brochure and to sign up,
go to www.pvillepresby.org/
diyexplorers
Pleasehelpoutbybringinginfoodthatisnonperishableandnotexpired
such as: canned juices, boxes of cereal, canned tuna, low fat and low
sugaritems,peanutbutterandjelly.Ifyouwouldliketovolunteeratthe
pantrycallthemat769-3944.
Donationbinsarelocatedinthebackofthesanctuaryandinthefoyer
neartheof,ices.
Register
Now!
Save the
Dates
Pastor Debbie on
Celebrating Endings and Beginnings
Dear Friends in Christ,
MidnightRun
June6
As we come into the season of summer – there are lots of chances to
celebrate endings. We celebrate with the choir the ending of another
wonderful season of music. With the graduates, we celebrate the
completion of one chapter of their lives. And with the Con,irmands, we
celebrate their completion of the con,irmation program and their
decision to make a commitment to following Christ as church members.
ASPSkillBuildingDays
June6
&13
SummerChoirBegins
June14
GraduatesSunday
June21
ScholarshipDeadline
June30
At the same time, this is a season of beginnings. We are watching people
walk through a door into a new chapter of their life, whether it be to
more schooling, or to a new job. We watch new members of the church
decide what will come next for them in their life of faith, as they see new
opportunities ahead. And we watch people choose again to share their
gifts of music, of teaching, of generosity, and service. We commission our
ASP folks, and recognize that our prayers are an important part of what
our team is doing in service to God.
EVBSRegistration
Ongoing
DIYExplorersBegins
July1
On Sunday June 7th, and Sunday June 14th, we’ll get a chance to celebrate
endings and beginnings in Adult Education as we engage in our Animate
study on Christian Practices. We’ll be spending these two weeks
considering what it means to be community. We’ll get a chance to
consider how we are a community of faith together, as well as
considering what being a community of faith looked like in the Bible.
Mark your calendars to be there for this engaging study.
May God’s peace go with you – wherever you are on your journey.
Church Brochure
Updated
Youmayhavenoticedourupdated
churchbrochurein
the back of the
sanctuary
and
downstairs in the
foyer.Sportingour
new logo, it tells
interested readers
more about our
church,
congregation and
ministries
and
programs.
Pick one up and
share it with someone for a way to
introduce them or invite them to
our church.
Youth Food Justice Corps to Launch
Food Justice Corps is a 10 month internship program sponsored by the
Stony Point Center and the Food Justice Network, for youth ages 14 to
21 who want to learn more about developing sustainable food
systems. Join us twice a month in the summer and once a month,
during the school year for hands-on farming and educational
experiences that look at the environment, fair labor practices, advocacy,
hunger and more.
Modest stipends may be available for all members (funding
pending.)
For more information contact Lori Hylton,
lori@hudrivpres.org or 347-276-2606.
3
Make a Donation to
Help Nepal
The April 25th earthquake in
Nepal was the worst in more than
80 years. Nearly 4,000 are known
dead and more than 6,000 were
injured.
Help
Presbyterian
Disaster Assistance respond by
working with partners on the
ground to bring needed food,
water, supplies and medicine.
Make an online donation or go to
presbyterianmission.org.
Church News
Find out More About
Church Membership
If you’ve been thinking about
becoming a member of PPC or
would just like to know more
about what it means to join, we
invite you to let Pastor Debbie
know. She can arrange a time to
talk with you and answer any
questions you may have. If you
decide you’d like to join, she can
tell you more about it.
So, talk with Pastor Debbie or
email her at
pastor@pvillepresby.org
Gardening Time Again
Pleasantville
Appalachia Service
Project
Spring is here and the plants and
weeds are growing. The children
have planted annuals and we will
all be enjoying summer ,lowers
soon.
PancakeBreakfast
We need your help now and over
the summer to help keep our
,lowerbeds looking great. Please
consider giving one week where
you will weed and water where
needed. Contact Cathy Fellows
741-2734 for more info or sign up
in the lobby.
May 16th
Want to Sing this
Summer?
The summer is a great time to sing
with the choir. The repertoire
comprises hymns and easy
anthems.
The rehearsals are
relaxed and fun. Try it. You'll like
it. Either call Dave Macdonald or
just show up at 8:45am on
Sunday.
The summer session
begins on June 14th.
4
Sunday School & Christian Ed News
Sunday School
Planting
Summer Sunday
School
On Mother’s Day, our Sunday
School classes beauti,ied the
church grounds by planting
annuals in the gardens. A big thank
you to Kathy Brown and Louise
Bookman for prepping the beds
for planting and helping our
students plant the annuals. Also, a
thank you to Charlie Titterton for
donating the plants.
While the school year is
winding down, we are
gearing up for an
amazing summer at Pleasantville
Presbyterian Church.
The youth group also worked in
the gardens around the church,
planting our ,irst ever “Butter,ly
Garden” near the playgrounds in
the back with help from Josephine
DiCostanzo and the Garden Club,
and Cathy Fellows.
Our vegetable garden is entering
year three, and this year we will be
donating our harvest to Neighbors
Link in Mount Kisco to support
their outreach to immigrant
families in our neighborhood.
Each summer, our Sunday School
program breaks out of the
ordinary to experience God’s
world in new ways. This year we
will be spending time in the
gardens, talking about creation,
stewardship, and renewal.
If you have thought about
teaching, but didn’t really want
to commit to a whole unit,
consider volunteering to teach
one week during our Summer
Sunday School program. For
more information see Bryan or
Kathy Brown.
Registration is open for campers of
all ages at Holmes Presbyterian
Camp. Sign up for a fabulous, faith,illed, fun way to spend the
summer. We have many kids from
our congregation who attend year
after year.
For more information, pick up a
Holmes brochure in the church
foyer, visit Holmes on the web at
www.HolmesCamp.org or talk to
Bryan.
College Scholarships
Giving and Receiving
If you want to help us maintain
our gardens, talk to Cathy Fellows.
Recognizing our
Graduates
We are going to be recognizing
and celebrating our graduates at
worship on June 21st. This year we
are graduating a LOT of friends of
the church and we really want to
recognize them in a special way.
We are inviting all our graduating
seniors to come and share their
gifts with the congregation. If you
are graduating this year and are
interested in participating in the
service, talk to Bryan or Pastor
Debbie.
Summer Camp at
Holmes
“EVBS”
Ecumenical Vacation
Bible School
August10-14
HolyInnocentsChurch
Conquering Challenges with
God’s Mighty Power!
Adult&teenvolunteersneeded
www.pvillevbs.org
See Registration Form on page 7
5
ApplicationDeadline
June30th
Attention all high school seniors!
Now that you have ,igured out
which college you'll be attending
next year, you might want to think
about submitting a Scholarship
Application to help offset all those
costs your parents will be facing
next year. Scholarship information
and applications may be found on
the
church
website
under
"Missions and Programs", and
they must be turned in by the end
of June.
Pleaseconsidergivingtothe
ScholarshipFund.
Church News
Deacons, Elders and Leaders
Stewardship 101
On May 2nd the deacons, elders and
leaders of the church gathered to
participate in a retreat entitled
“Stewardship 101” presented by the
StewardshipTeamoftheHudsonRiver
Presbytery.Weexplorednewideasand
practicesaboutgivingourtime,talents,
in,luence and ,inancial support to the
church as we further God’s work
through our congregation. We were
inspired and encouraged to tell our stories to one another about
becoming faithful disciples and worthy stewards of all the gifts with
whichGodhasentrustedus.
Midnight Run
Saturday,June6th
TalkwithDaveSmutzler
ifyouareinterestedingoingon
theRun—747-3331.
Wearealsocollectingmen’sblue
jeans,springclothes,pants,light
jackets,shirtsandnewdarksocks.
ItisgoodtorememberthatthegoalofStewardshipMinistryistohelp
us grow in our relationship with Jesus through the use of our time,
talents, in,luence and ,inances. Thank you to all the faithful stewards
whosupportthiscongregationwithyourmanytalentsandgifts.
Honoring our Graduates
On Sunday June 21st we will honor our graduating seniors.
Congratulations to all those who are graduating this year from high
school and college on reaching this milestone. Always come back to us
when you are visiting from college!
AliciaAlvis
ByramHillsHighSchool
JuliaBedus
PleasantvilleHighSchool
KathrynBerg
PleasantvilleHighSchool
CaliBronkema
PleasantvilleHighSchool
OscarMarchi
PleasantvilleHighSchool
AudreyTocco
PleasantvilleHighSchool
NicoleWalkerwicz
HoraceGreeleyHighSchool
CarrieWellansky
PleasantvilleHighSchool
JacksonWong
PleasantvilleHighSchool
Alsograduated...
PatrickFlynn
B.S.,Accounting,UniversityatAlbany
KevinLewis
B.A.,InternationalRelations,
UniversityofSouthernCalifornia
EstherKim
M.S.,Accounting,BinghamtonUniversity
PaulMiller
DevonStack
B.A.,English,BinghamtonUniversity
B.A.,Psychology,PurchaseCollege
6
Great Beginnings
Pre-School Celebrations
It has been a wonderful year and
now we are celebrating our
children’s achievements with two
joyful celebrations. At 11am on
Thursday June 11th our 3’s will
put on a short program in
Fellowship Hall and receive their
certi,icates. At 9:30am on Friday
June 12th our 4’s will participate
in a graduation ceremony
completewithsharingsomesongs
and receiving their “diplomas”.
Both programs will end with a
reception in Fellowship Hall. You
are invited to share their joy by
attendingtheseprograms.
We have a limited number of
openings available for September.
Ifyouknowofafamilylookingfor
a pre-school, please encourage
them to check out Great
Beginnings.
7
Men’s Corner
The Boys of Summer
AndyPettitte
"ItgivesmegreatpeacetoknowthatnomatterhowgoodorhowbadIdo,theLordlovesme.That'sallthat
reallymatterstome.Baseballisn'twhateverythingisabout.It'saboutthewayI'mbeingaChristianhusband,a
Christianfather,orthewayI'mlivingmylifeandtryingtobeaChristiantestimonytopeople."
—
“MyteammatesandeveryoneintheorganizationknowwhatIstandforandhowIlivemylife.Iwanttodo
thingsthatbringhonorandglorytoGod.Andit’saboutcontinuingtolivethatlifeinthatstandard,becauseI
de,initelydon'twanttodoanythingthathurtsmytestimonyintheclubhouseandonthe,ield.Ihopetheysee
the love of God through me, that I care about them, respect them, andwant to do the best that I can to help
them.Ihopetheyseethatthere’ssomethingdifferentaboutmylifeandunderstandthatit’sJesus.”
JoeGirardi
"Youcanhavepeaceeveninthe‘Zoo.'"Joesays,"whenyouseethatGodisincharge."JoeandKimturndailyto
the Bible forencouragement and guidance. "The Bible keeps Kim andme ona straight andnarrow path and
keepsusstronginourmarriage,"Joesays."ItkeepsuslockedintoGodandwhatHewants.Itshowsushowto
havethestrengthandwisdomweneedtoliveeveryday."
GaryCarter
"Paul wrote about faith and perseverance and hard work overcoming adversity, and he didn't worry about
whythingshadgoneagainsthim.ThemoreIread,themoreIrealizedtheonethingthatIwastododuringa
toughspell,alongslump,a"jinx":Presson,lookforward,trusttheOnewhotrulycontrolsmylife."
MarkTeixeira
"Youcannevercompletelygetit—beingaChristian—butIthinkIreallygotitwhenmy,irstsonwasbornin
2006.IjustrealizedthelovethatGodhasforallofus.ItwasseeingmysonbornandknowingtheunconditionallovethatIhaveforhim."
—
Christdoesn’tkeepscore.It’snotaboutwhatyoudohere.It’saboutthepersonyouare.It’saboutyourfaith.
That’sonethingthatI’dlikeforyoungkidsoranybodytoknow.
HankAaron
"IneedtodependonSomeonewhoisbigger,strongerandwiserthanIam.Idon'tdoitonmyown.Godismy
strength.Hegavemeagoodbodyandsometalentandthefreedomtodevelopit.Hehelpsmewhenthingsgo
wrong.HeforgivesmewhenIfallonmyface.Helightstheway."
8
News from the Thomas Family in Korea
Annyeonghaseyo from
Jeffrey and Barbara
Thomas,
teaching
missionaries
at
Yongsan International
School of Seoul, Korea
(YISS). We hope this
,inds our PPC family
well and enjoying the
transition
into
summertime. We look
forward in anticipation
to worshipping with
you over the July 4th
weekend,andsharinga
Minute for Mission
about our work here in
Seoul.
In the remaining few
weeks
of
school,
Barbarawillengageher
,irstgradersinVacation
Bible School, a time to
sing praises, enjoy fun
crafts and have deep discussions about emerging faith. Please pray that her students will deepen their
relationshipwithChrist.
Jeff has enjoyed serving as the founder and sponsor of the National Honor Society in the high school, and as
such,hehashelpedfocustheireffortsonservicetothecommunity.RecentlytheNHSmemberssoldBarbara's
handmade gift bags at the school's International Spring Fair to raise support for RoomtoRead,acharitythat
builds libraries and promotes literacy projects in Africa and Asia. The bazaar was attended by over 2,000
membersoftheSeoulcommunity,andthestudents’effortshelpedsharethemessagethatourChristianschool
believesstronglyincharityandservice.
Recently, YISS was highlighted in SeoulSelectionMagazine, a popular English-language publication aimed at
expatsandvisitorstoSeoul.Jeffwasaskedtoworkonthearticleabouttheschools’GuardiansWithAMessage
service program. You can read the entire article here: http://magazine. seoulselection.com/2015/05/02/ molding-well-rounded-students- who
-care/
Jeff and I are feeling called to lead a group of high school students on a service project to India next year –
please pray for discernment for us.
Thank you always for your prayers. We would love to hear from you.
Barbara and Jeffrey Thomas
Yongsan International School in Seoul
285 Itaewon-Ro
Seoul 140-210 Korea
9
YOUTH GROUP NEWS
faith, fun, fellowship and friends, with a bit of mission mixed in
Sunday, June 7
ASP Organizational Meeting
- 3pm at the Church
Junior and Senior High Youth
Group - 5 - 7pm at the Church
Join us for dinner and a
scavenger hunt!
Sunday, June 14
Social Justice Internship goes to Albany
Junior and Senior High Youth
Group - 5 - 7pm at the Church
Join us as we prep and plant our
church’s vegetable garden
Sunday, June 21
Graduate Recognition at 10am
We will be recognizing our
graduates at worship on Sunday.
If you are graduating we hope
you will be part of the service,
see Bryan for more information.
What’s new for PYC!?
One of the aspects of Pleasantville Presbyterian Church that I appreciate
most, is the desire to meet the needs of the community we serve, even if
that means breaking from tradition. This is a bold and scary trait that
makes our church stand out from the crowd. It is in this spirit that we are
announcing big changes to PYC for the 2015 - 2016 school year.
Middle School Youth Fellowship
Join us for an end of the year
barbecue on the front lawn!
There are two big changes coming to our middle school program. First,
instead of weekly meetings that often conflict with extra-curricular
activities, sports, friends and family time, we will transition to monthly
gatherings that feature more intentional programs aimed specifically at our
middle school students. Second, we will be inviting our 5th graders to join
the Middle School Youth Fellowship. We hope that these two changes
bring energy, intentionality and vibrancy to our program.
Sunday, June 28
High School Youth Fellowship
Commissioning Sunday at 10am
For our high schoolers, we will still meet weekly on Sundays but we are
hoping to increase the mix of programs. We want to make sure that our
high school program remains dynamic and responsive to your needs and
desires. If you are interested in shaping the future of our High School
Youth Fellowship, talk to our Youth Council Representatives, Kiernan
McCarthy and Sophia Maldonado.
Junior and Senior High Youth
Group - 5 - 7pm at the Church
We will be commissioning our
ASP team at worship so come
out and support our youth.
youth.pvillepresby.org
June 2015
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
3
1
2
7pm
English
Lessons –
Library
10am
Hearts & Hands
10am
Women’s
Bible Fwshp
8:15pm
Tuesday Titans
7:30pm
Evening
Women’s Bible
Fwshp –
Campbell Rm.
7
8
9
10
8:45am Chancel Choir Rehearsal
10am Worship
10am Childcare
11:15am Mission Mtg.
4:30pm Jr. High Youth Grp.
6pm Sr. High Youth Grp.
7pm
English
Lessons –
Library
10am
Hearts & Hands
10am
Women’s
Bible Fwshp
8:15pm
Tuesday Titans
7:30pm
Session Mtg.
14
15
16
8:45am Chancel Choir Rehearsal
10am Worship
10am Childcare/Sunday School
6:30pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal
7pm
English
Lessons –
Library
10am
Hearts & Hands
10am
Women’s
Bible Fwshp –
off-site
8:15pm
Tuesday Titans
21
22
Father’s Day
Graduation Recognition
8:45am Chancel Choir Rehearsal
10am Worship
10am Childcare/Sunday School
4:30pm Jr. High Youth Grp.
6pm Sr. High Youth Grp.
7pm
English
Lessons –
Library
28
29
30
Commissioning Sunday
8:45am Chancel Choir Rehearsal
10am Worship
10am Childcare/Sunday School
11am Deacon’s Meeting
4:30pm Jr. High Youth Grp.
6pm Sr. High Youth Grp.
7pm
English
Lessons –
Library
10am
Hearts & Hands
8:15pm
Tuesday Titans
Thursday
4
Friday
Saturday
5
6
6pm
Spanish
Lessons – 104
English
Lessons –
Campbell Rm.
ASP Skill
building
9:30am
E&M Meeting
11
12
13
9am
GBNS
Moving Up
Ceremony
8:30am
GBNS
Graduation
Ceremony
6pm
Spanish
Lessons – 104
English
Lessons –
Campbell Rm.
ASP Skill
building
17
18
19
20
7:30pm
Evening
Women’s Bible
Fwshp –
Campbell Rm.
9:30am
E&M
Meeting
6pm
Spanish
Lessons – 104
English
Lessons –
Campbell Rm.
23
24
25
26
10am
Hearts & Hands
8:15pm
Tuesday Titans
7:30pm
Evening
Women’s Bible
Fwshp –
Campbell Rm.
6pm
Spanish
Lessons – 104
English
Lessons –
Campbell Rm.
27
Pleasantville Presbyterian Church
Non-Profit Org
U.S. Postage Paid
Permit No. 7038
White Plains, NY
400 Bedford Road
Pleasantville, New York 10570
914-769-0458
Info@PvillePresby.org
www.PvillePresby.org
Return Service
Requested
Pleasantville Appalachia Service Project - 2015
Appalachia Service Project is a Christian ministry, open to all people, that fosters human development by
addressing the housing needs of Central Appalachia. The goal is to make homes warmer, safer and drier for
familiesinneed,whileofferingtransformationalexperiencesforfamilies,volunteersandstaffalike.Theyrely
onvolunteersfromaroundthecountrytorepairandrebuildhomesforsomeofAppalachia’sneediestfamilies.
Thissummer,thePleasantvillePresbyterianChurchwillhelpsponsor60localyouthandadultvolunteerswho
willtraveltoBud,WestVirginiatorepairandrebuildhomesforfamilieswhoareinurgentneedofhelp.The
CommunityPancakeBreakfastisonewayourvolunteersraisefundsforthisproject.
Pleaseconsiderinvestinginthismissionwithusbymakingatax-deductiblecontributionandweaskthatyou
keeptheteaminyourprayers.
To,indouthowyoucangetinvolved,askoneoftheASPvolunteers.
Pickupahammer.Changealife.
AdultVolunteers
BryanBardin
BillBrown
KathyBrown
ChrisDieckman
GaryDieckman
JudyDieckman
AndreaGarbarini
JoAnneGullotta
RichardGullotta
TheoJannetty
KimLewis
NeilMarchi
JeannineTocco
RichTocco
GregZarick
LizZarick
GailZarick
MarkZarick
YouthVolunteers
AliciaAlvis
AmandaBedus
MichaelBloom
LoganBronkema
AngelaCalvi
KimChia
ValerieCodino
KierstenCoolen
JackCooper
MannyCorona
MichaelDarmohraj
LizFaulkner
PhilipGarbarini
LisaGullotta
KyraHickey
EricHughes
CordeliaJannetty
RebeccaLord
SophiaMaldonado
JuliusMarchi
KiernanMcCarthy
SarahMeisel
AnnaGraceMockler
CarlMueller
EricMueller
SarahParaszczak
CatePuglia
ShaneRoberts
BrendanRoney
PhilipRountry
KatieSchaub
AmeliaStargiotti
KatherineStargiotti
JeremyStone
AlexTjia
AudreyTocco
EvelynTocco
BenjaminTrombetta
ShaneWillard
JacksonWong